A Different Journey
by CatLady4
Summary: What if Beorn had a daughter and she joined Thorin's company on their quest?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

He wanted to scream. Really wanted to scream. Not in triumph, not in rage, not in anger. He wanted to scream in pain. When Gandalf had revived him at the top of the Carrock, he had not felt too bad. Bruised certainly, but he had lived through worse. Something had changed as he climbed down the very long rock staircase into the valley. Now it was all he could do to sit upright. Would it be so bad to scream? That was the bad part about being a leader. Not always being able to do what you wanted, when you wanted. Right now, Thorin Oakenshield would give anything to scream…

She was bored. There, she had admitted it. Bored. The rule had always been to never admit that the day was boring. But at last, she could no longer convince herself that she wasn't Bored. Bored, Bored. All the tending, maintaining, walking, cleaning and whatever could not keep her from being Bored. This morning seemed especially bad. There was really nothing she needed to do today, and she did not seem to be able to come up with anything to amuse herself with. Bored.

She decided to walk down to the Glade for a change of pace. She had not been there in a long time, ever since she had given up attending the family meetings. Walking down the path, she wondered how she had gotten to this point in her life. She was the only girl amongst a family of boys, smaller than everyone else, her father's favorite, but picked on by her brothers. And now Bored.

As she approached the clearing, she was amazed to hear what sounded like numerous voices. Not just one or two, but many. Her father would be at his house at this hour of the morning and her brothers most likely still asleep. Who could it be? She slowed her pace and slowly parted some branches crossing the path.

It was a group of dwarves, or so she assumed. She had never seen dwarves, but what else could they be? Shorter, broader versions of Men with a lot of hair were the descriptions she had always heard. There seemed to be about a dozen or so milling around talking. As she looked at them, she noticed one off to the side, sitting on her favorite bench. He had long hair but less beard then many of the others. Something about the way he sat drew her attention. He was leaning forward supporting his weight with his hands on his knees. Her Healer instincts kicked in and she began to slowly walk towards him. She could move very quietly when needed, and she did not want to startle him.

The closer she got, the worse she judged his condition. The air around him almost seemed to vibrate with his pain. When she stood in front of him, he slowly lifted his head and looked her. He deep blue eyes were filled with pain. She looked at him and said "You're dying".

Thorin was unaware of anyone approaching until a pair of feet appeared in his field of vision. Not dwarf feet, but small, bare female feet. As painful as it was, he lifted his head to see what came with the feet. It was a woman with reddish brown hair dressed in green and brown. For a few moments she looked at him and then simply stated, "You're dying". Somehow that did not really surprise him.

"I can help, if you let me, but it has to be done soon," she said.

"Anything to stop this pain would be greatly appreciated," Thorin replied.

As soon as he agreed to allow her to treat him, she placed her hands over his. They seemed very cold to the touch, not a good sign. But who knew with a dwarf? She slowly moved her hands up his arms, trying to judge his condition. It was obvious he had been in a terrible fight. Every inch seemed to be bruised. Moving along, she drew out the pain and soothed the bruising. Reaching his shoulders, she rested her hands and paused. She looked into his eyes and found him looking at her. A good omen. Still conscious. He had unfastened his outer coat when he sat down, and she slid her hands underneath the edges of it onto his chest. She almost passed out as she ran her hands over the bruise on his chest. What in Middle Earth had caused that? It was not even the worst of the damage so she moved past it. Sliding her hands over his left side, she found it. Deep inside, a rib had broken and was grating against anything it touched. With each breath and heart beat it was causing more damage. Dwarves must be incredibly strong, she thought. This would have felled any of her brothers in just minutes. And yet, he must have come from a distance for she would have known of a battle that occurred nearby.

She knew her Poppa would be angry. Already she had done more than he would have wanted her to do. He had always disliked her healing major injuries. It took so much out of her. And this was bigger than anything she had ever even attempted. But he would die without her help…

She looked into his eyes again. So deep, so blue, still so much pain. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Slowly, she 'pushed' the broken rib back into position, slightly knitting it into place so that it could heal on its own. Then she 'looked' to see what damage it had caused. It had scraped against the heart and lungs, but she knew that with time, they would begin to mend now that the rib was moved. She decided to leave things be for now. She had other areas to tend to, and she was growing weaker.

Moving her hands along his side, she found what appeared to be puncture wounds. Teeth? This must be some story! She slid her hands back to the chest bruise. She gritted her teeth against the pain as she drew out the bruise. Finally, she was able to rest her hands once again on his shoulders. She opened her eyes and smiled weakly at him. "Almost done". She lightly ran her hands over his face, erasing the cuts and scrapes she found there. At last she was finished. She leaned forward and gave him her Healer's Kiss on his forehead. Then to her surprise, she found herself compelled to kiss him again, this time gently on his lips. She did not know why, she just felt she had to do it.

She stood upright, "You should be fine now." And slumped, unconscious at his feet.

Her hands were warm on his. She ran them up over his arms leaving a trail of healing behind. When she put her hands on his chest where Azog had struck him, he saw her wince in pain and heard her gasp. Then moving her hands over his ribs, she stopped and seemed to hesitate. The next he knew, pain ran across her face again, but he felt immediate relief. Wherever she touched, the pain receded. Moving back to his chest, her hands covered the bruised area. Waves of pain washed across her face, but his pain was gone.

She rested her hands on his shoulders once more. As she moved her hands over his face, he looked at hers. It was momentarily covered with scrapes and scratches! _His_ scrapes and scratches! He watched as they seemed to sink into her skin and disappear! What was she?

As she finished, she leaned forward and kissed his forehead. Then, she slowly and gently kissed him on his lips. It was one of the most wonderful things he had ever experienced. So that was what a kiss was like. Before he could respond, she fainted at his feet.

The others finally seemed to take notice of the little drama being played out. Balin and Bofur wandered over as Thorin tried to stand and help the woman. Then from the other side of the glade a deep voice boomed out, "What is going on here? What have you done to Valinaya?" A huge, dark haired man strode towards them, followed closely by Gandalf and Bilbo.

Thorin finally managed to stand. "She said I was dying. She healed me and then just collapsed."

"I have warned her about helping others without thinking. Now she is your responsibility. Someone pick her up!" As Thorin started to lean over, he yelled, "Not you! You will undo all her hard work! You there (pointing at Bofur) pick her up and follow me. You, come (nodding at Thorin)."

The rest of the dwarves stared as the group left. "What happened? Where are they going," Dwalin rumbled. He had not seen anything up until the large man arrived.

Bilbo, who had better hearing than the dwarves piped up. "I didn't hear it all, but apparently Thorin was very badly injured. He said she healed him. The big man said she is now Thorin's responsibility."

"Responsibility! I don't like the sound of that. We need to leave here soon. Why do these things keep happening to us?" Dwalin complained.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The little parade made its way down the path that Valinaya had walked just a few minutes before. The large man led them to a little cottage a short distance away. "Take her in there. I am too tall to easily fit. She is now yours to tend," he said to Thorin. "She saved you, now you must return the favor. If it is anything like the past, she will sleep for several days. If she wakes, give her anything she asks for, and I mean anything! You should be able to find what you need inside. She is nothing if not efficient." Saying this, he turned and stomped away. Only someone looking closely would have noticed the worry in his eyes.

Bofur carried her into the little cottage. There were two rooms, a bedroom and a living area. He placed her on the bed. "Uh, do you think we should take anything off?" Bofur asked. "Definitely not," replied Thorin, shocked at just thinking about it.

Gandalf had squeezed in after them. "What exactly happened back there?" Thorin gave him a brief rundown of the events leading up to Valinaya's collapse. It was nice to finally know her name. "Who was that man?"

"That is her father, Beorn. He can be very testy AND very protective. It is lucky he decided to let you live."

"What did he mean my responsibility?"

"He means what he says. You are to make sure nothing happens to her over the next few days. I believe she is an extraordinary healer. However, Beorn discourages her from practicing her arts because of the side effects. One of which you are witnessing. Apparently, if she uses too much of her own energy it can take an extended time for her to recover. Knowing the injuries that you have suffered recently, my guess is, she will be out for awhile."

"I thought _you_ healed me, Gandalf."

"I only called you back, Thorin. I had no idea of the extent of your injuries. It is not where my skills lie. Apparently, your luck served you well again."

Thorin looked at the figure on the bed. "Do you know anything about her? She seemed to come out of nowhere."

"All I know is what I have told you. When Beorn calms down I will let you know anything new. For now, sit with her and do as he said. Give her anything she asks. Keep one or two others nearby in case you need to send for something. We are reliant on Beorn to supply us for the next stage of our journey. It looks as though Valinaya is now the key to that." With those words of warning, he left.

Bofur and Thorin sat by her side, watching her sleep. At first, she was very still, but as time passed she seemed to grow more restless. Finally, she partially opened her eyes and said weakly, "Water." Thorin picked up a pitcher that was at the bedside and poured a cup.

"Now what? How do you give a sleeping woman water?"

"I think you will have to support her a bit," murmured Bofur. Thorin stared at him. "But I have never really touched a female. What if I do it wrong?"

"Wrong, how can you do it _wrong?_ Just raise her by the shoulders and support her head."

Thorin continued to look puzzled. "Water," said the voice again. "Water".

"Oh, for heaven's sake, like this." Bofur reached over, put one hand on each of Valinaya's shoulders and gently raised her up. "Now put the cup to her lips and see what happens. Thorin raised the cup and tipped it up slightly. Valinaya's lips parted and he slowly poured a tiny bit of water in her mouth. They could see her throat contract as she swallowed. He gradually gave her the rest of the cup and then Bofur lowered her back to the bed. "And that is how you give a sleeper water," he grinned at Thorin.

Thorin smiled back weakly. "I've never been very good at the gentle side of life. If it does not involve a sword or an axe, I am a bit lost."

Bofur smirked at him. "I would suggest you learn quickly, since Gandalf more or less implied our lives depend on it. I would hate to see Beorn's reaction in a few days if his daughter should not be in the best condition."

When Gandalf returned the little glade, he was surrounded by the dwarves who peppered him with questions. One at a time! Oin you go first."

Oin, the doctor for the group asked, "Bilbo said that woman said Thorin was dying. He didn't say anything to me! I could have helped."

"I don't think Thorin thought anything was wrong either right up until we arrived here. Also, knowing him as I do, he probably was being the strong silent type to keep us from worrying." Gandalf pointed at Gloin. "Yes, Gloin?"

"I don't like it. She's not a dwarf. She shouldn't have been touching him. I saw her sliding her hands all over him and now he has gone off with her." Gloin didn't approve of anyone who was not a dwarf.

"Gloin, you must learn to take help wherever you find it. Thorin must now return the favor and make sure she recovers from her labors. We will all have to assist. Balin, can you make sure that one of you is always with Thorin during the day from now on? That way, if he needs anything, he doesn't have to leave her alone. They should be alright at night, I imagine."

"I'll set up a rotation. Bofur's with him right now. Dori, you go and relieve him in three hours. Gloin, you…" Gloin didn't allow Balin to finish.

"Don't be expectin' me to wait on that creature. I'll have nothing to do with the matter." He crossed his arms and took an aggressive stance.

"Very well," Balin said disapprovingly, "It is more for Thorin than the woman, but if that is the way you feel. "Anyone else refusing?" No one else said anything. "Good. Work it out amongst yourselves after Dori. Three hours each should work for now. I'll take the first shift in the morning and we'll go from there."

**Thoughts?**


	3. Chapter 3

Over the next several hours, Bofur and Thorin stayed at Valinaya's side. A few times, she asked for water and they performed the same routine. Other than that, there was no change. Bofur was happy to have Thorin to himself for awhile. Travelling with the company meant that there was little chance to talk privately. They idly chatted about the journey so far (avoiding the latest conflict) and wondered what Mirkwood would hold for them.

There was a knock at the door and Gandalf entered. "I have some answers to your questions," he told Thorin. "Beorn told me that Naya, as he calls her, is indeed a master Healer. She apparently can put almost anything back together if she gets to it in time. You were lucky to be conscious, or she might not have been able to help you. She always hesitates to heal someone without approval, although the others could probably have stood up for you if needed. Her father does not approve of her actions because it hurts her in the short term. Not long ago, she healed a deer and it nearly killed her. Not that he equates you with a deer," he said, seeing Thorin cringe a bit. "For the time being, she will sleep. Beorn said she will gradually start to waken for short periods. He said she may make what seem to be odd requests, but you must fulfill them".

"What kind of requests? So far she has only asked for water."

"Well, he did mention that physical contact seems to re-energize her faster. So she may ask to hold a hand or something like that."

Thorin noticed that Gandalf did not seem to be looking him in the eyes as he usually did. "You are not telling me everything, I can tell."

"It is best you learn some of these things as you go along. Beorn said every case has been different and he really was not sure what would happen. He did restate that you are the key and should stay near her at all times. If you need to leave for, uh, 'personal' reasons, have someone else here to tend her." Gandalf was looking more uncomfortable with every word. Thorin took pity on him and did not ask him to elaborate.

"Now, I must be off. Beorn and I are figuring out what you will need for your journey. Send someone up to the Lodge if you need help, but you should be fine. And one other thing, Beorn said that sometimes she has 'visions' when she sleeps. If she says anything unusual, make note of it. It could be of importance later. He looked at Bofur, "Dori will come in a bit to give you a break. Balin is making up a schedule so Thorin will not be alone." And with that, he departed.

Thorina looked at Bofur. "Why does none of that reassure me?"

"Because it was Gandalf, and he never tells you all he knows, would be my guess," muttered Bofur.

**Very short, I know, but some of them will run really long! **


	4. Chapter 4

**This one is an itty bitty one. As a reward for reading it, I am uploading more chapters faster than I planned. And they will get longer, promise!**

She always hated this part. The recovery seemed tougher than the healing. And it took days, especially after one like she had just accomplished. So much bruising and damage. What had he been involved in? How had he withstood the pain long enough to walk down the Stairs? That was never easy for someone hale and hardy. Amazing. Some day she would ask to hear the tale.

Most people did not realize it, but she was generally aware of a good portion of the activity around her, even though she appeared to be deep in sleep. The pair now sitting by her bed was equally clueless. She could not move much, but she could hear and comprehend. She drifted in and out as she listened to their talk. Naya had almost laughed out loud when the one named Bofur had asked if they should undress her. The one she had healed, Thorin, was definitely flummoxed by females. It was a wonder that they had been able to give her water. Bofur at least seemed to have some idea of nursing an invalid. Just wait until she had to make some of her other 'requests' of Thorin. It was going to get interesting….so much for being bored!


	5. Chapter 5

Thorin had told Nori to go and get some sleep. It was night now, and Naya had not asked for anything in hours. He thought he had the water thing down well enough now to do it by himself if necessary. Another dwarf should arrive around dawn to start the day watch with him. He was nodding off in the chair when he heard, "Hand" from the bed. He looked up. Her eyes were partially open, looking at him. "Hand," she said again, "Hand."

He leaned over. "What?" "Hand." He remembered Gandalf's words and slowly slid his hand towards hers on the bedspread. He gently slipped it on top of hers. She closed her eyes, sighed and relaxed again. Aha, that was exactly the right thing! He was getting the hang of this after all. Thorin had never done any direct caretaking in his life. After Erebor was lost, he had been too busy finding large things like shelter and food. Dwarves like Bofur had done all of the nursing that the injured required. Now, he was finding out what they had gone through. More than he had imagined.

Her hand seemed too small and soft to have done the kind of healing that he had needed. It was warm in his hand. He liked the way it felt. After awhile, her eyes opened again. "Sleep."

"Yes, that's right, you sleep."

"No, you."

"What do you mean?"

"You need sleep. To heal. Sleep."

"But you want to hold my hand. How am I to sleep in this position?" He was sitting in a chair by the bed, leaning over to hold her hand. It was not terribly comfortable, but Beorn had said, 'do anything she asks.' How was he to do both?

She moved her hand under his, patting the bed by her side. "Sleep."

"You want me to sleep on the bed?"

She smiled weakly at him, patted her hand and said, "Sleep," again.

He removed his hand from hers, watching for any negative reaction. She just smiled the same weak smile. He bent down and removed his boots, one at a time. Then he slowly sat on the edge of the bed and stretched out next to her. He covered his hand with hers again and watched as her eyes closed. As his eyes closed, too, he heard one last quiet "sleep."

"Well, well, well. Doesn't this look comfy." Balin stood by the bed, looking down at Thorin. Thorin startled into wakefulness and leaped off the bed.

"She made me do it," he exclaimed.

"That's what they always say," teased Balin.

"She did. Said I needed sleep to heal and to hold her hand at the same time. I couldn't do both from the chair. She patted the bed and kept saying 'Sleep'. What was I supposed to do?" Thorin was sounding more desperate with every word.

"Calm down, laddie, I'm only teasing. I know you would never have the courage to be inappropriate!" Balin could not resist one last teasing dig.

Thorin glared at him. Finally, he smiled. "This has got to be one of the hardest things I have ever done. It just keeps getting odder as time goes on. Packs of orcs were less stressful. Well, almost."

"Well, I'm here to give you a short break, so you can take care of anything that needs taking care of."

"Ahh, yes, I will be back shortly, now that you mention it. There is water by the bed and honey in the kitchen. It's all she has asked for so far, food wise. I will bring fresh water back with me." Thorin picked up a pitcher from the bench by the door and went out.

Balin stood and looked down at Naya. She had awakened during the exchange. "You are leading him in a merry dance, aren't you?" She just smiled and closed her eyes again.

Thorin returned shortly with the water. "Any change?"

"No, just opened her eyes briefly and went back to sleep. How long is this supposed to last?"

"No one seems to know. Based on the past, she should start to be more awake tomorrow. Beorn says the harder the healing, the longer the recovery, and that this was one of the most complex she had tried."

"Why did you not tell us you were so badly hurt? We could have helped."

"At first I did not think it was that bad. I just ached all over. I assumed Gandalf had healed the worst of it. Once we were going down the Stairs, it just seemed to gradually get worse. Pride, I guess, and the fact there was so little room to maneuver kept me going. Once we reached the bottom, I thought all I needed was to sit. Didn't help. And then she was there, telling me I was dying. It sure felt like it by then. What would you have been able to do anyway? Better just to drop dead without a lot of fuss!" Thorin tried to be lighthearted about it all, but looking back, he realized how fortunate he was. He owed his life to the woman in the bed, and he was not about to forget it.

He sat with her throughout the day. She only roused once or twice and he began to worry. She seemed weaker, paler than before. In the evening, Bofur came back. He took one look at her and exclaimed, "What did you do to her! She looks much worse, Thorin."

"I was afraid of that. It's hard for me to tell since I am with her all the time. Should we send for Gandalf or Beorn?"

Before Bofur could answer, they heard a weak voice. "sss" and then "isss". They turned and looked at Naya. Her eyes were barely open. She was trying to speak. Thorin raised her up and lifted the water to her lips. She turned her head away. Trying to speak, all that came out was "iss" again.

"What is it, what do you need?" he asked anxiously.

"Kiss," was the weak reply. "Kiss"

He turned to Bofur. "Did she say what I think she said?"

"If you heard 'kiss', then you heard what I heard. Looks like she's movin' beyond hand holdin'."

"But, but, I can't do that!"

"And I quote: 'Give her anything she wants'. Sounds easy enough to me."

"Easy! I've never kissed anyone in my life! Not like that!"

Weakly from the bed, "Please, Thorin, kiss…"

They again turned to Naya. Her eyes were open wider now, a pleading look in them. "Kiss me."

Bofur said, "Remember how Gandalf said physical contact could re-energize her? There isn't much more physical than a kiss. I think you really have to do this, whether you like it or not!"

Thorin looked down at Naya. One of these days he would kill that wizard! He slowly leaned forward, putting his hands on her shoulders as if to give her a drink. His hair fell along his face. Angrily he laid her back down, twisted his hair back and tucked it down his shirt. He raised her up again and gently pressed his lips against hers. At first, there seemed to be no response. He pressed a little harder and pulled her towards his chest. After a moment or two, he sensed that she had begun to return the kiss. Her lips moved against his and, startled, he started to pull back. Her hands tightened on his arms. "No, please, don't go," she muttered. He slid one hand behind her head and kissed her more firmly. There was a definite response this time. He could almost feel her regaining some strength. Her lips began to move against his. Once again, he tried to let her go and once again, she tightened her hands on his arms.

Bofur stood uncomfortably watching the little drama being acted out in front of him. He loved to make fun of others, especially Thorin, but there was something so deeply personal happening here that he could not think of a single smart remark to make. Maybe later. For now, he just turned his back and hummed one of his little tunes.

To Thorin, the kiss seemed to last an eternity. In all his long life, he had never kissed a female other than a relative. This was so different. She was a living, breathing person and she wanted him to kiss her. She was kissing him back. Was it just for his energy? That must be it. What other reason could there be? He did not even want to think about it. He turned his attention back to the kiss. It was oddly pleasant. So soft and gentle and yet he was feeling it in other parts of his body. His stomach seemed to be doing flips…

All day long she'd felt herself getting weaker. That had never happened before. Usually, a little sleep, some water and honey and she was good to go. She tried to stay alert, but she kept slipping away. As evening wore on, she knew there was one more step to take. She hesitated to try. Thorin seemed so skittish about any kind of contact. He was only just getting used to lying next to her and holding her hand. Did she dare try it? There really was no other choice.

She heard another voice in the room. The one called Bofur was back. Good. If this failed, he seemed to be competent. She thought she could count on him to seek help.

On the third try, she was able to make them understand what she was saying. She was weaker than she thought!

As Thorin's lips touched hers, she felt his energy begin to pass into her body. It was like a cool rain on a hot day, soothing and energizing at the same time. Just as she was beginning to feel a tiny bit better, he tried to pull away. She managed to hold onto him. "No, please, don't go." She must be stronger. He heard her the first time. He deepened the kiss and she was able to begin to respond to him. This was even nicer than the first kiss she had given him only yesterday. He was participating in this one! Finally, as he tried to pull back, she let him go. "Well, that was a good start!" she said.


	6. Chapter 6

When the kiss finally ended, Thorin sat back away from her. Her color was much improved her, her eyes were open and she was smiling! What did she mean 'a good start'? She had ended the kiss, but she kept her hands on his.

"Thank you. That was just what I needed. I had no idea how weak I had become. I should never have waited so long. I thought the hand touch would be enough. Not even close."

Thorin reached out a hand and brushed her hair back off her face. "Thorin Oakenshield, at your service," he quipped.

Bofur, now terribly uncomfortable, gently cleared his throat. "Will you be needin' me to stay, then?"

Without turning around, Thorin said softly, "I think we'll be okay now. Come back in the morning or send someone."

Bofur edged out of the room and made his escape.

For a few moments, they stared somewhat uncomfortably at each other. "I'm sorry you had to do that. I didn't realize how low my energy was."

Thorin was a bit disappointed. Had she not enjoyed the kiss as he had? Maybe he had done it wrong. "I am not very good at any of this. I tried my best."

"Oh, I have no complaints about your performance! It was quite satisfactory. Now, since it is getting late, I think I will turn in for yet another round of sleep. You should get more rest also. I may need to call on you for more energy at some point. Since you shared the bed last night, would you like to do so again tonight?" she said matter of factly.

Thorin hesitated. How was he to answer this? If he was honest with himself, he would very much like to spend the night next to her. But did she really want him to do so? He decided to be bold. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. "If you don't mind. I did find it more comfortable than the chair."

"Excellent. Any time we have physical contact, I regain that much more of my strength." She lay down upon the bed. Thorin positioned himself on the other side and rested against the pillow. She looked at him. "Physical contact generally involves actual contact," she chuckled. "Slide over here and put your arms around me. I promise I won't bite."

Thorin slid over. She turned her back to him and he gingerly put one arm under her head and the other over her arm and chest. She snuggled closely up against his body and seemed to almost immediately fall asleep. He thought that it would be a long time before he was able to follow her example, but he was wrong. After just a few minutes, he fell into a deep sleep. Females were not as disconcerting as he had imagined. They were actually quite comfortable.

Naya on the other hand, really was faking sleep. Her mind raced with all that had just happened. He had KISSED her. And been quite good at it, as far as she could tell anyway. She had never been kissed by a man. It had been soft, gentle, energizing. Her feelings were hard for her to manage right now. She needed him for her physical well being, but there was something about him that drew her to him. It had been that way from the moment she first saw him in the Glade. To her, he was strong, brave and caring all in one. He had done what she asked of him without much hesitation, even though to others many of her were requests would have seemed odd, even outlandish. He had taken her father's words to heart and was doing his best. His arms were very comforting right now. She was eager to see what the next day would bring. Thinking about it finally calmed her thoughts and she fell asleep.

**Short but sweet. OK, maybe Thorin is a bit soft, but this is a 'different' journey!**


	7. Chapter 7

Balin had cottage duty this morning. The dwarves had set up a rotation so that one or two of them could stop in, see what Thorin needed and then move on to work on other things during the day. He walked in the door and stopped dead in his tracks. Thorin and the woman were wrapped up so tightly together on the bed that it was hard to tell where one started and the other ended! What was going on? (Bofur, that model of discretion, had said nothing of the events he had witnessed. It nearly killed him, but he had managed to keep quiet…)

What should he do? Quietly retreat, make some noise, go back out and come in again? He chose the last option, tip toed out and down the steps. Treading heavily back up the stairs, he 'fumbled' with the door latch, made some loud sounds of self-disgust and re-entered the room. Damn, they were still asleep and all tangled up. Now what? He fell back on time honored tradition and cleared his throat. "Ahem, Thorin?"

He had been having the most marvelous dream. Pleasant smells, soft clouds, blue skies…and then it began to thunder. Thunder? Slowly he was dragged back to the real world. His eyes opened to see Balin standing by the bed, looking puzzled. Thorin began to realize the reason for the look. He was in bed. With a woman. A strange woman he had not known three days ago. Thorin had never been in bed with ANY woman let alone an almost total stranger. Naya was still sound asleep (for real this time). He slowly disentangled himself, stood up and, trying to sound casual, "Yes, Balin, what can I do for you?" Having all his clothes on certainly helped, he thought to himself. You always appeared more innocent with at least _some_ clothes on.

Balin looked at him. "What do you think you are doing? You don't even know her and now you are sleeping with her?"

"Nothing happened, I swear! She asked me to hold her. And since I am supposed to do anything she asks and after the kisses, I ..."

"After WHAT! You kissed her! Thorin! I take half a day off and I come back to find all of this! Have you lost all control?" He sounded truly outraged. They had been keeping their voices relatively low, but now Naya showed signs of being disturbed. Thorin put his hand on Balin's shoulder. "Let's go outside."

Away from the cottage, Balin started to show signs of blowing up, but thought better of it. "Alright, I will let this go for now. What I came for was to give you a chance to get cleaned up. She seems to be asleep. Why not go to the Lodge and take a quick bath. I will tend to things here. Whatever that means these days."

Thorin grinned at him. "Thanks, old friend. It really isn't what it seems…exactly."

"I will want an explanation of what 'exactly' means," grumped Balin.

"And maybe, you will get it, or not," laughed Thorin, as he headed for the Lodge and a much appreciated bath.

Balin stormed back into the cottage once Thorin was gone. He was not going to let things drop that easily. There was someone else who could give him answers and he was going to get them! He went over to the bed. Naya's eyes were still closed. He shook her shoulder roughly. "Naya, wake up. Wake UP!" She muttered and rolled away from his hand. "NAYA! You are not going to get away from this by faking. Wake UP!" Her eyes opened slightly.

"What, what?"

"What is your game, what are you doing to Thorin? I demand to know! Answer me!"

Her eyes closed again and he could tell she was all but unaware of her surroundings. He grabbed her wrist and pulled, hard. "Nooo, don' hur' me," she cried. Her eyes again opened slightly and she seemed to register Balin's face. "You mustn' go. Don'go, don' go. You'll die…Please don' go…"

"What do you mean, what are you talking about you silly girl? I have just about had enough of your games!" He yanked on her wrist again. "Stop speaking nonsense and WAKE UP!"

"Oohh, stop. "

"I will stop when you give me answers. Don't go where? Who is going to die?"

"Moria, Balin…Don'go. All die…"

This stopped Balin dead. He had _never _talked to anyone about his dream. To return to Moria, drive out the orcs and rebuild Khazad-dum to its glory. He knew it was a foolish idea, but part of him believed that some day he would really do it. How had she known? He dropped her hand. He watched, guiltily, as a raw red band appeared where he had twisted it. Then a terrible black bruise formed and then, in another instant, disappeared. If nothing else, she _was_ a phenomenal healer.

"What else do you know? What else did you see?" He remembered Gandalf's words now to note anything she said. Well, he would not be telling anyone about these particular words!

Naya seemed to lose interest in Balin once he let go of her hand. Her eyes rolled under their lids, but she did not wake. "He'll die. I have to stop him. He'll die."

"Who, what!" he cried.

"The sickness. He has to share. No one needs all that gold. He'll die. I have to save him. There is a way. If only he would listen! I can do it, but he has to share….Oh, Thorin, noooooo."

Naya went limp. She was only vaguely aware of her surroundings. Balin had no idea what he should do. These predictions, how real were they likely to be? It did not sound like the future looked very bright for himself or Thorin!

Naya could not wake. She was vaguely aware that Thorin had left her. She heard her name shouted. When someone grabbed her hand, flashes of light seemed to drill into her brain. Horrible scenes of death and destruction crossed her vision. Dark halls with vast ceilings. The sound of swords battling. It all happened so fast. When her wrist began to burn with pain she finally saw something she recognized. Balin. He stood before her covered in blood. She knew he was dead. He was surrounded by an army of dwarves, also dead. Orcs advanced from behind and struck him down and began to mutilate his corpse. In her mind, she could not stop screaming. The pain in her wrist ceased and the scenes changed. These were much lest distinct. Thorin, gold, orcs. Words flashed and she cried them out: Sickness, Share, Gold. Then all went mercifully black.

**Don't worry, Balin isn't going to be a bad guy!**


	8. Chapter 8

Gradually, she regained consciousness. She opened her eyes to see not Thorin but Balin by her side. She looked at him suspiciously. He looked guiltily back. "I'm sorry for any pain I caused you," he said.

"Why did you do it? I have done nothing to harm either you or Thorin. He's very special to me, even though I have only known him for such a short time."

"I don't know what came over me. Thorin is like a brother to me, but that is no excuse for my behavior. When I walked in and saw him with you like that, I lost control. I could only think that you had bewitched him in some way. I'm still not sure you haven't."

"Maybe I have, but he has bewitched me back. And what do you mean 'in that way'? What way?

"You two were entwined around each other like you had known each other for a thousand years. For a dwarf who has never loved anyone, it is quite shocking behavior."

"Thorin has never loved anyone?"

"There was no time after Erebor fell, and then who would have him? His father and grandfather went mad, his kingdom lost, no prospects and no home for the longest time. Also, we lost many of our females at Erebor, and we have always had so few." A brief look of pain crossed his face. "I do not know that Thorin ever even met anyone he considered in that way."

"I…I'm so sorry. I only know a little of the tale. Thorin told me a few stories on the first day, but I really could not take them in. I think he concentrated on the better times anyway. Please know that I have no ulterior motives. What is happening between us is as unexpected for me as for all of you. I try never to hurt anybody. I know the pain involved in healing all too well to cause any on purpose. And besides, you will leave in a few days at most and that will be the end of it." She turned her back to him and he saw her shoulders slump.

Before he could reply, Thorin returned looking rested and happy. Happy? Balin did not think he could honestly say he had seen Thorin Oakenshield 'happy' in the past 60 years. Maybe a moment of laughter over a really good joke, but an aura of happiness? This was a completely new face from the old one of a week ago. He wondered how long it would last.

"So, how are you two getting along? I feel much better myself and, Naya, I must say you are looking well rested also. Having a companion seems to suit you" he laughed. She smiled at him and he felt his heart jump in his chest.

"Yes, much better today. I think I might even be able to manage to eat something other than water and honey. Do we have any eggs left?" She turned away quickly and went to the kitchen area.

Thorin turned to Balin, puzzled. "Is she really all right? Did I do something wrong?"

Balin saw the anxiety jump into his eyes. "No, laddie, I think she is just a wee bit embarrassed about how I found you two this morning. I am sure you did nothing wrong." I'm the one who has screwed this up, he thought to himself. "I'll leave you two to your breakfast. It looks like you can handle things on your own for awhile. I'll have one of the others check in on you occasionally just to make sure you're alright." He turned and went out the door, hoping he had not hurt Thorin with his actions. And he must remember those words. Sickness. Share. Gold. And forget any plans he ever had about Moria…

When Balin returned to the Lodge, he ran into Gandalf and Dwalin. "I'm a bit concerned about Thorin," he said. "He and that healer seem to have become mighty close in just days. What if he wants to stay? I have never seen him like this!'

Gandalf looked sharply at the dwarf. "Did he say he didn't want to leave? That would be surprising."

"Argh," griped Dwalin. "I could see it. Once a female shows up, everything else gets put to the side. Balin is right. Thorin has become a changed dwarf. He tends to that Naya creature like she was worth more than gold. I've not seen him for more than a half hour since we arrived."

Gandalf feared that his plans might be facing an unexpected disruption. That would not be good for anyone! "Put your heads together and see if everyone feels the same way. We will have to come with a plan to get Thorin on the move again!"

"I think I might have something that might work," Balin said slyly. "I'll let you know this evening."


	9. Chapter 9

Valinaya was cooking eggs, trying to keep it all together without looking like she was falling apart. Her confrontation with Balin bothered her. What had he really wanted from her? She had no plan regarding Thorin. Well, not much of one. Originally, she had just wanted to have a little fun with him. Make him play her games while she healed. But now, she seemed to be developing feelings for someone that was leaving in a very short time. It looked like the joke was on her.

Thorin came over to see what she was doing "Do you have any cheese? I like mine with cheese and maybe some onion."

"No, just the eggs. I have been a bit out of it the last few days," she joked, feeling better just by being in his presence. How was that possible? Was it because of the healing or something else?

They ate the breakfast in companionable silence. She enjoyed just being in his company and he enjoyed just looking at her. "You're so much better today, it's amazing," he finally said.

"It was all that 'physical contact' last night. I told you it would work."

He blushed the brightest red color she had ever seen on anyone. "Are you sure you're okay? You look like you might have a sudden fever," she teased.

"Must be a holdover from the hot bath," he stammered.

She relented. "Why don't we go for a walk? I am tired of being stuck inside for so long. We could go back to the Glade. I used to enjoy lounging in the sun there."

They strolled arm in arm down the path she had taken just three days before. She thought the woods had never looked more beautiful. Or maybe it was because for the first time in a long while she did not feel lonely. If only it would last.

They sat on the bench where she had found him that first day. After a while, he turned to her. "I have a question. That first day, after you finished healing me, you kissed me twice. Do you usually do that?"

Now it was her turn to blush. "Yes and no. I always give what I call my Healer's Kiss to the forehead at the end. Kind of a signal that I'm finished. But that day, something compelled me to go further." She ducked her head and then lifted it to look into his eyes. "Something about you made me kiss you on the lips. I don't know why, I just did. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I wondered if it meant anything special. And I wondered if you enjoyed it."

She took his hand in hers and again looked into his eyes. They were so very expressive. She always seemed to get lost in them. "Do you know the saying 'Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought her back'? Well, I for one consider myself to be a very satisfied cat. But if you have any doubts, we can always try it again."

He added his other hand to hers and started to lean forward. She tilted her head ever so slightly to the side. Their lips touched. He put his hand to her face and pulled her towards him. Naya put her arms around his waist and snuggled up to him. The kiss continued and led to more kisses. Soft, gentle and innocent.

"Thorin! There you are! I have been looking for you. And Valinaya, how well you look today!"

They jumped guiltily apart as Gandalf approached. "Damn the wizard," Thorin muttered. "Sometimes he is _not_ here at the right time."

"What's up, Gandalf? This is perhaps not the best time…"

"Oh this will only take a few moments of your time. I have some important items to discuss." He turned and started to walk away. Thorin stood. "I will be right back. We will continue this then." He winked at her and walked away.

"What is it Gandalf? As you may have noticed, Naya and I were enjoying a rather private moment."

"How could I not notice? Every time I see you two, you seem to be entwined one way or another. But that is not what I am here about. It has been suggested by some members of the company that we add to our number."

"Add to the company? Who?" Light dawned in his eyes. "Naya? They want Naya to come with us?" Thorin's voice rose in excitement.

"Who else? She is a skilled healer. Our path will not be getting any easier. And," he paused, "it seems rather apparent that you two have developed an attachment. Unless of course, I am mistaken?" Gandalf raised an eyebrow at Thorin.

"I am really not able to talk about that with you of all people, Gandalf. That's rather personal, don't you think?"

"Of course it's personal. But as I said, the connection has become obvious to more than a few of us. We became concerned that you might be losing interest in continuing. This seemed to be a way around some difficult decisions. That is if she consents to join our merry tribe."

Thorin looked troubled. "Do you think she will say 'no'? I had tried not to think beyond each day, but now that you mention it, would staying here for awhile be so terrible?"

Gandalf's heart sank. His entire plan would fall apart if the dwarves gave up their quest. More than gold was at stake here. "Yes, yes it would be. You know there is only a narrow window in which to use your key. Durin's Day draws nigh. If you are not there at the right time, your door into Erebor will be lost. You must continue soon."

Now that he had been reminded, Thorin realized he had a choice to make. But maybe Naya would agree to come. Then it would be easy. He could only ask. "I will see what she says. But I am tempted to drop the whole affair. As Balin mentioned this morning, I am actually happy for the first time in a very long time." Gandalf nodded. He would make sure her answer was 'yes' if it was the last thing he did!

Thorin walked back to Naya. She had her head resting on the back of the bench. He approached quietly and kissed her softly. Her eyes opened. "Well, I guess we have answered both our questions. I am satisfied, and you enjoy it!" Thorin laughed (he really had not done that in far too long),"Most definitely. And now, it looks like we will have many more opportunities to practice, if you so desire!"

Naya looked puzzled. "You're staying here longer? I thought you were leaving in a day or two."

"We are, but you're coming with us! If you want to, anyway. You will come, won't you?" He tried not to sound like he was pleading, but he was not sure he succeeded.

Her heart leaped with joy. This was more than she had ever hoped for. The end of boredom, new sights, an adventure! Spending her days (and nights!) with Thorin! She decided to play with him one last time. "Oh, I don't know, how could I leave all this?" When she saw the look on his face, she relented. "Thorin, please don't look that way! I'm sorry for teasing you. Of course I'll go. I've been longing for something new and watching you leave was going to break my heart!" She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight.

His heart had dropped to the depths of despair. He had thought his heart was going to explode when she said no, and now he was back to the heights of joy. He hugged her back so hard she squeaked. "You have just made me the happiest dwarf in the world."

An odd look came over her face. "That reminds me. Do you understand what I am?"

"A warm and loving female who seems to have an interest in me?"

"Thorin, I'm serious. You do know that I am a shape shifter, a skin changer?"

"Why yes. I kind of assumed since Beorn is your father. Does that matter?"

"Sometimes people have an issue with it. Dirty, disgusting, odd, and unnatural. And those are some of the nicer terms. I just wanted to make sure you knew what you were getting into." She hung her head in shame.

Thorin put his hand under her chin and lifted her head. "Don't you ever use those terms about yourself again. None of them are true. You are so kind and thoughtful with everyone. I have heard those terms used all of my life, but they are directed at dwarves. I should be asking you if you can live with me being a dwarf."

"But you are all so brave, strong and durable! Why does anyone think that about dwarves?"

"Are you familiar with the creation story of dwarves?"

"A little. Aule made you without Iluvatar's knowledge. But what difference does that make?"

"It means that some of the other races (elves, especially, he thought with a sneer) look down on us. Aule, who we call Mahal, was not the Creator that Iluvatar was. We were never supposed to exist. That makes us inferior in their eyes."

"Not in mine. You at least have a legend to explain your existence. No one seems to know where we come from. Just an accident they say, like orcs."

"NEVER like orcs," raged Thorin." Never compare yourself to those horrible creatures. They are the true abominations of Middle Earth!"

His sudden anger unsettled her. "Please don't be upset. I just wanted to make sure you understood what I am. Now that I know you are okay with me not being a dwarf, we can move forward and start our adventures together!" She hugged him again and his rage faded quickly under her touch.

"We will not speak of it again. You are fine just the way you are. Now, Gandalf also mentioned that Bombur has arranged a going away bash for this evening up at the Lodge. Say you will come? You have met almost everyone, but now that you are joining us, we need to make sure you know what you are getting into!"

"I would love to!"


	10. Chapter 10

Naya and Thorin walked into a party already roaring at full steam. (It never took dwarves long to get there. If you were 15 minutes late, you were already behind in the game.) Thorin took her around the room, naming each dwarf as they approached, just in case she did not know the name. She remembered some of them from her cottage, mainly Bofur, Balin , Fili and Kili. The others had made very brief visits, so she was glad to be able to remind herself who was who. Of course, there were so many! It was going to take awhile to keep them all straight. The only one she had not met previously was a dwarf named Gloin. For some reason, he barely looked at her, barely bent his head and moved away.

After several hours of dwarf banqueting, she quietly slipped out for a peaceful moment. Was she sure she wanted to travel with this gang of delinquents? She had witnessed a food fight, beer jugging, and loud obnoxious behavior at every turn. She sighed and sat under a tree.

"Having second thoughts?" said Gandalf, joining her on the bench.

"Well, not really, but they are a bit much to take as a large group. I had no idea they behaved so badly. Thank goodness Thorin seems to rise above it all. Or at least he is tonight."

"I don't think you have to worry about Thorin's behavior. Being part of the royal family, he was held to a higher standard. I have never seen him lose control or stoop to ribald jokes the way so many of them do."

"Royal family? Thorin came from a royal family?"

"I thought you knew. Thorin is the heir to the throne of Erebor, King Under the Mountain. Why do you think he has undertaken this quest?"

Naya answered, "I thought it was mostly a big treasure hunt. You know, mountain full of gold, slay the dragon. We really have had very little time to actually talk. I've spent three days sleeping for the most part. It's amazing we have made the connection that we have."

"Well, he is the heir. He hopes to regain his throne someday. The rest is also true, if a little more refined than you put it. And I do believe his feelings for you are very real. Like Balin, I have never seen him happier or even happy for that matter."

"Do you think he really cares for me? I thought heirs needed little heirs to follow in their footsteps. I cannot imagine dwarves would look kindly on their king cavorting with a shape shifter. Maybe I should just stay here. At least I know what my world is here."

"Now Naya, is that what your spirit tells you? You are an unexpected player, I will admit, but I think you have an important part to play, now that you have entered onto the stage. And besides, Thorin is intent on having Fili and Kili as his heirs. Even if he married a dwarf, he would never cut them out of the succession." Gandalf was again worried that his nicely laid plan was going to fall apart.

"My heart tells me that staying here is a dead end. That I should go, even if it is not with the company. I have tried to leave for the last few years, but the world grows more dangerous. Too dangerous for me to travel it alone. At the very least , with the dwarves, I know I won't be bored."

"Very little chance of that," chuckled Gandalf.

"You want me to go very badly. Why?" She looked intently at his face. He tried to avoid her eyes but was unsuccessful. "You're leaving them, aren't you? You're the one who got this moving and now you're leaving them! How can you do that? Do they even know?"

Gandalf looked ashamed. "I did not intend to leave when this all started. I received news that I must investigate. That is why I am so glad that you will join them. They need someone outside of the group to guide them at times. Even Thorin. Especially Thorin. He can be stubborn and pigheaded at times. And no, they do not know. I briefly mentioned it, but it was not definite at the time. Please don't say anything. It is better that they find out at the moment of parting."

"Hmmm, even more incentive for me to think about this twice. What have I gotten myself into? Stupid heart, stupid healing, stupid me. Next time I run across a handsome stranger in need, I am running in the other direction and not looking back!"

"I certainly hope not, the world would be a poorer place. I am counting on you Valinaya Beorning. Your father says you are capable of great things, many which would surprise even me." Gandalf knew she thought he was joking, but after what he had seen over the last three days, he truly believed she was going to be a great asset.

Gloin watched the creature (as he thought of her) leave the dining hall. Edging over to a slightly tipsy Thorin, he said, "Is she really coming with us, that healer person?"

Thorin smiled at him happily, "Most definitely, Gloin my friend. She is coming with _me." _ He pointed at his chest. "She chose me!"

"But she is not a dwarf. She's one of these skin changing shape shifters! Your grandfather would be appalled!"

"Well, since good old Thror lost his head awhile ago, I am not going to concern myself with him! She makes me happy and that is all that matters." He tossed back the last of his beer. "Play nice with my new friend, Gloin, play nice." Gloin knew there was a veiled threat behind those words, even if Thorin was slightly drunk.

Naya reentered the party looking for Thorin. He was sitting with Balin and Bilbo. As she approached, she looked oddly at Bilbo. He had not ever been assigned to visit her cottage, so she had only met him very briefly. Now, something about him bothered her. A sense of discomfort. He seemed harmless and the dwarves all liked him, as far as she could tell. And, he had saved Thorin's life even before she did. She pushed it to the back of her mind. It was probably due to all the changes faced during this very odd day.

She had a hard time looking at Balin. She remembered more about the morning events then she let on. Most of it, really. Some was a bit vague, but she could not forget him hurting her and accusing her of false actions. He could not meet her eyes either. Good. They could ignore each other for now. She would try to talk to him another time.

"Thorin, I'm tired. I think I will return to the cottage and go to bed. Please stay and enjoy your party. I believe I am truly healed and can manage the walk back on my own. You are the host, you should stay."

"Nonsense, I can come with you."

"I'll go with her," Balin said.

Uh oh, what did this mean, thought Naya. This could get awkward. Then again, maybe we need to have this out in the open. It will never get any easier. "I really can go by myself," she protested.

"No, I will be happy to cede the duty to Balin, and I don't want you out alone. You are still recovering whether you will admit it or not. Do you wish me to join you later?" he asked, hopefully.

"If you grow bored with your party, but don't come on my account," she flirted. With that, she turned and walked out, Balin following.

"I have to say again how sorry I am for hurting you. I think I have been a little crazy these last days, not realizing Thorin was so badly injured. I blame myself. I should have known. I took it out on you." Balin grabbed her hand (more gently than that morning). "Can you ever forgive me?"

"Balin, of course I can forgive you. I see how you are with him. The whole company loves him, don't they?"

"He is the glue that holds us together. We will follow him to our deaths if necessary. He has been loyal and true over all these years. It is now our turn to return the favor." Balin stated proudly.

"Just so you know, I just now found out who he is. I didn't realize he could become a king."

"I know. I talked with Gandalf earlier. I told him I thought you should join us on…."

Naya interrupted him, "Wait, it was your idea that I should come? Why? I didn't think you even liked me."

"Well, it is obvious that you make Thorin happy. And you are most definitely a fine healer. And after your 'advice' this morning, I have to believe you could be of great benefit to the company. How did you know about Moria?" Balin asked.

"I don't know about Moria. What is it? What did I say?" she did not remember this part.

"You told me not to go to Moria, that I would die. You were fairly convincing. I have never mentioned that dark dream to anyone, but you pulled it out of my head with just a touch of my hand. I can't help but wonder what else you are capable of doing."

Valinaya smiled and continued walking.

By the time Thorin returned to the cottage, Naya was sound asleep. He looked down at her. How had he gotten so lucky? Survived a battle with Azog _and_ gotten the girl! He slowly removed his boots and coat. Perhaps he had had a few too many pints for one evening. His head was spinning. Was it the beer or the woman in the bed or both? He lay down next to her. Her scent was more intoxicating than the beer. He leaned over and kissed her shoulder. Then her neck. Then her face, her lips. She finally moved slightly. He kissed her full on the mouth. Her lips parted just a bit and he pressed against them. He pulled her close to his chest.

"Thorin, is that you?" She muttered sleepily.

For an answer, he kissed her even more deeply. She let out a tiny moan. He ran his tongue along her lips and she opened her mouth. The beer gave him more courage than usual, and he pushed into her mouth. Her tongue met his and now it was his turn to moan. He began to run his hand over her body. Over her arm and then her breast. He was feeling sensations throughout his body that he had never imagined possible. His grip on her tightened as he kissed her even more firmly. He buried his head in her neck, biting her.

Naya became aware slowly when Thorin began kissing her. At first, it was pleasant, but then she began to sense a change in him. She fought to awaken. Something, she was not sure what, was not right. The kisses were pleasant but as they progressed they developed an intensity that made her uncomfortable. When he began to run his hands down her body, she jolted wide awake. "Thorin! Stop! What are you doing?"

His befuddled brain registered her complaint, but it could not really figure out what the matter was. "Kissing you like you ordered me to. Discovering just how nice you are. Don't you like me anymore?"

Once she was awake she could smell and taste the beer on him. "Not like this, I don't. What possessed you to come to me drunk and maul me? Get out!"

"But Naya, you invited me to come to you."

"Not drunk and not like this. I will see you in the morning. Go away."

Her sharp words and tone seemed to sober him. "I…I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. Please forgive me!" The pleading tone softened her response.

"We're moving too fast. I think it's probably the beer. After talking to Gandalf and Balin, Thorin, I realize how little we really know about each other. How could I miss that you are to be King of Erebor? Probably something I should have been aware of. "

"That 's important to you?"

"No, it just shows how little we know about each other. And here you are, pushing for far more intimacy than I am ready for. And you too, if you weren't drunk. I think we need to step back and assess where this is going. Now I am having second thoughts about even going with your company."

"Naya, no, please don't say that. I'm more than a little drunk. Please…I will do anything, just don't quit the company. I will never touch you again if that's what it takes!" he pleaded.

Her stomach turned over at his words. "Oh, Thorin, don't say that! It's just that you startled me so. Why don't we pretend all this never happened. Go back to the Lodge for the night. We can talk about it in the morning."

He gathered his things. Without saying another word, he walked out the door. He didn't see the tears that fell after he left.

What was she going to do? How had this night ever even happened? Did they ruin what they had? How was she going to face Thorin in the morning? Naya's brain was racing in circles. Should she go? Should she stay? What would happen with Thorin. It was driving her crazy. She did something she had not done in a long time. She shifted and raced into the woods.

It felt good to be out like this. She had resisted it for so long. The power she felt, the way her senses expanded. Her mind became more elemental. It had far less worries now than before. Perhaps this was the answer. Maybe she would just go wild and never go back!

**Dun dun dun...will she or won't she?**


	11. Chapter 11

**It would have been a very short story if she didn't return, now wouldn't it?**

She finally returned later in the morning. She crept along the side of the cottage. Before shifting, she peered in the windows. Empty. Good. She changed back and walked inside. It was hard to tell, but it did not look like anyone had come yet. Usually, she did not relish shifting, but last night she had needed to get in touch with her other side. Her wilder side. It put things in perspective. There was very little here for her now. She would go with the company. With Thorin by her side or not, it didn't matter. She was leaving home.

She went to see her father at the Lodge. Guiltily, she sneaked in the back to avoid any of the dwarves. It was too soon to face questions. Her father was in his workroom. "Poppa!" She ran and put her arms around his waist. He was so much larger than she! "Well, Naya. It's about time you came to see me. I hear all the news second hand these days!" He pushed her out to arms length. "You went wild last night! What's the matter?"

"I knew I couldn't fool you! You always know. I needed to clear my brain and think. So much has been going on that my head is spinning." Naya turned her face up. "You know I'm leaving?"

"I assumed as much, from what the wizard said and the way the dwarves are buzzing about 'their' healer. Is this what you really want?"

"Yes, Poppa. You know I have not been happy. I want to see what lies beyond the edge of the Glade. And…" She hesitated. "I want to be with Thorin Oakenshield." There, she had finally said it out loud. And it sounded right!

His face sagged. "I know little one. I wish things could be different. Perhaps it is best that you go. But remember, shape shifters face a hard time out in the world. Be careful who you reveal yourself to. You have always been the most gifted one of us. You shift like no one else."

Valinaya was grateful for the unexpected praise. She had always worked hard to be the best, mainly to irritate her brothers. She had never been sure her father even noticed. "I will always try to make you proud, Poppa. I will miss you so much." She put her arms around him again and hugged tightly. As hard as she tried, she could not stop the tears. "I should go. I still have a few things to take care of before tomorrow. Will I see you again?"

Beorn hugged his youngest back. "I'm not sure. I am hearing rumors of bad things everywhere these days that require my attention. This may be the last time we meet for quite some time." His eyes, too, were filled with tears as he bent down to kiss her goodbye. "Take care, little one. Take care."

"I will Poppa." She turned and ran blindly from the room.

As she ran, she failed to notice Thorin walking towards her father's room. He started to call to her, but stopped when he saw the tears. He knocked on Beorn's door and entered when invited. Beorn sat with his back to the door. "Yes?"

"It's Thorin. I just came to tell you that we are almost ready to depart. I believe we will leave early tomorrow." He paused. "And I wanted to thank you for all of your help. We would not be able to continue without it." Now came the awkward part. "I want you to know that no matter what happens between us, I will always look upon Valinaya as my responsibility. I will make sure she is safe."

Beorn finally turned around. His eyes were red. "No one can ever ensure safety, even for themselves. But I appreciate the thought. I don't think I have ever really told her how much I love her, even now. Could you tell her for me someday? I just could never get the words out."

"I will. That is if she is even speaking to me. I was stupid after the party last night."

"I wouldn't worry on that front. When she told me she was leaving, she said it was to be with you. So I would imagine you will not have to work too hard to gain forgiveness." He smiled. "Best of luck to you, Thorin Oakenshield. I hope to see you King someday." He put out his hand.

Thorin grasped it with his. "That means a lot to me. I will do my best." He turned and walked out. Beorn sighed, sat back down in his chair and stared out his windows.

Naya once again found herself back on the bench in the Glade. For someone who had not been here in years, she certainly was here a lot lately! She could not seem to stop crying. Again, she began to question her decision. If she was so sure, why the waterworks? She put her head down on her knees and just cried.

After a few minutes (hours?), she realized someone was sitting next to her. Thorin, of course. Always he was seeing her at her worst. Yelling last night, bawling today. "Go away. I want to be alone," she managed to gulp out the words.

For an answer, he put his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. "No. I just told your father I will look out for you. I'm not leaving you like this."

"I'm fine."

"You don't seem fine. You seem a tad upset."

"I still am not sure that this is what I should do. Saying goodbye to Poppa just made it worse."

"You can still change your mind." He had to bite his tongue to say it, but he could not bear to pressure her.

"I'm just being stupid. There is nothing for me here. My path lies with you and I just need to stop being a big baby. I just soaked your coat," she said guiltily.

"It has had worse things spilled on it then the tears of a lovely shape shifter," he teased.

She sat up and snuffled. "Is everything ready? When do we leave?" He took this as a very good sign. "Early tomorrow. All is ready. You're coming along…..again?"

"If you insist," she smiled through the last of her tears. "After all, how far do you think you would get without Bilbo to save you and me to glue you back together?"

"Probably no more than half a day's journey!"

They seemed to be back to their old companionship, but the 'talk' still needed to happen. "We haven't talked about last night." He winced. Thorin had hoped that once she cried all over him, she would let the rest just go. "We really don't know one another, do we?" she insisted.

"No, you're right. We do not. But we also have a long journey ahead of us. Days of walking with nothing more to do (I hope) than talk. Can't we agree to spend them learning all there is to know about each other? We could try and learn at least one new thing about each other every day. When we run out of new things, then we can safely say we know each other!" He grinned at her, hoping she would smile at him.

She weakly smiled back. "That's not a bad idea. Why don't I start right now. You know I'm worried about you associating with a skin changer, so I think you should know what you are dealing with. Are you ready?"

Thorin looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Do you even know what I do?"

"Well, there was some talk about your father changing into a bear, and we did see bear tracks around the Lodge on some mornings. I assumed you did something similar."

"Somewhat. Only different. Actually, bear is the one thing I have never been able to master. Kind of ironic in a family where it's the signature shape. One of the many reasons my brothers disrespect me. My bear has always been too thin and spindly. I gave it up years ago. No, Thorin, I am the exception. Most shifters have one shape. The better ones can manage two. I, on the other hand, can pretty much do anything I want to if I work at it hard enough."

"Anything? Animal, vegetable mineral?"

"No, it has to be living flesh. And it has to be about my size. So I can be a mouse, but it would be a Naya sized mouse!"

"Other people?"

She ducked her head. "I once promised Poppa I would not do people. But…I can. He considered it highly unethical. I have come to the same conclusion. It would have to be a very serious situation for me to do people. I can do anything as long as I have time to study the subject. I have a confession."

"Another one? I am just getting used to the idea that you can turn into Dwalin if you want!" He was trying to keep things lighthearted. He did not want her to slip back into sadness.

She giggled. "This will make you laugh, too. Did you ever realize that I don't wear any clothes?"

"What!"

"Nope. Years ago, my brothers (who do wear clothes) kept stealing mine whenever they realized I had shifted. They would hide them and make me come home naked. So, I finally just decided to create 'clothes' out of my skin. It really saves time on laundry! AND it showed my brothers how much better I was at shifting then they were. As hard as they tried, they could never manage it. Of course, it made them dislike me all the more, but by then I knew we would never really get along."

Thorin said, "Is that why you got so upset last night when I ran my hands over you? I was actually touching your skin?" The thought made him blush the entire length of his body. And wish he had been paying more attention at the same time.

"Somewhat. And the whole not really knowing you. You surprised me with how aggressive you acted. I hadn't seen that side of you before."

"Fair enough. So the new thing I will tell you about me today is that I am far more aggressive on a daily basis then I have been here. And angry. You have heard Balin talk about me being happy. My usual mood is one of brooding anger. I can't promise that it will not return once we leave the relative peace of your woods." His heart hoped that this would not turn her against him. "If I should bite your head off, please understand that that is the more 'normal' Thorin."

"Agreed. One more thing. I think you should see me in another shape. Talking about it is not the same as seeing. If after that you can still accept me, I will feel much better." She was worried about doing this, but she felt that she had to be sure he understood just what being with her involved.

This gave Thorin pause. She was right. For the most part he saw her as just another female. She could talk about shifting and changing all she wanted, but watching her do it? He was not sure about that!

He waited so long to answer that she began to fear she had already lost him. "Thorin? It's not too late to back out. I can always just go with the company as the healer. You would no longer be responsible for me." Her heart sank just saying the words.

"I just told your father that I will always be responsible for you no matter what. Few people have ever come close to me in my life. And none the way you have. I will watch you change, but I assure you it will not alter my feelings in the least."

She didn't say anything more to him. She stood very erect in front of him. He watched as her skin seemed to ripple over her body. In just seconds he was facing a Naya sized cat, crouching at his feet. He reached out a hand and touched its head. The cat rubbed against him and purred. Distantly, he thought he heard a voice echo 'Thorin?' Then in another instant, Naya stood before him again just as she had been before. Only this time, her clothes were blue!

"Just so you didn't think I was fibbing about the clothes! What did you think? Ready to run away, yet?" she was breathless with excitement. She had never changed in front of anyone before. It was strangely arousing.

Thorin continued to stare at her. "That was the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my life! And you can do anything?"

"Anything, for the most part. Did you hear me call your name? I have learned that if someone is touching me, I can talk to them. Otherwise, I have no way of communicating when I'm an animal."

"Yes, it was kind of faint, but I heard it. When you're an animal, is Naya still there? I mean are you more Naya or more animal if that is not too confusing a question." Thorin was feeling a bit off balance.

"I'm still Naya, but if I stay an animal too long, the animal part seems to start to take over a bit. That's one of the reasons I don't 'go wild' very often. It can be disconcerting."

Thorin reached out and put his arms around her. "I believe I pass the test. I have no sudden desire to run screaming into the woods."

"Good. Because I would have to go all cat on you and hunt you down," she said with a laugh.


	12. Chapter 12

At last, they were leaving. She had spent the night alone, packing and saying goodbye to her little cottage. One last wilding in the woods and she was ready. Walking up to the Lodge, Naya did her best to not feel sad. Why should she? A whole new life was ahead of her. New friends, new adventures. Thorin!

The dwarves were gathered by the ponies. Bofur greeted her warmly, but the rest mostly ignored her. Even Thorin didn't seem to notice her. She was going to have to work to get to know everyone better. Aliana, her pony, was there waiting for her. Yet another goodbye she would have to make later. She sighed deeply. Could this get any harder?

After a few minutes, they all mounted up and started out. Naya hung back so she would be at the end and out of everyone's way. She ended up riding next to Bilbo. What was it about him that always bothered her? He was a perfect gentleman, always. Thorin and Gandalf led the party. They seemed to be deep in conversation. Had Gandalf told them he was leaving? Apparently, he had warned them at the Carrock that he would not be with them much longer. They were still hoping to change his mind.

As the day wore on Naya tried to ride with as many dwarves as possible. She had divided them into three camps: those she knew liked her, those who actively disliked her and those who had not made up their minds. Bofur, Fili, Kili, and Bilbo were in the first group. Balin, Bombur, Bifur, Ori, Dori and Oin in the third. Dwalin, Gloin and Nori were the ones whose minds she needed to work on.

Ori was just too shy. Any time she talked to him, he blushed as red as a cherry. She could probably put him in the first group, but until her could talk to her, she left him undecided. Neither Bombur, Bifur nor Dori talked much anyway. They seemed to be content just be along for the ride. Balin was a puzzle. After their confrontation, he seemed more positive about her, but she was not sure. Better to leave him undecided for now.

She had talked healing with Oin and thought someday he could like her. A bit of professional jealousy perhaps. He was a healer also. Certainly not on her level, but he knew far more about dwarves than she. Why Gloin didn't care for her was a mystery. She had not exchanged two words with him, yet on occasion she caught him glaring at her. Dwalin was the same. He was the obvious warrior of the group. Maybe he didn't like the fact that she was female? Considered her weak? Questions to answer.

She spent most of the morning with Bilbo. He really was sweet. She loved his stories of the Shire. Someday, she told him she would visit. Fili and Kili adopted her in the afternoon. The fact that Thorin was still talking with Gandalf and ignoring her was eased by the stories they told about their uncle. She definitely learned 'one new thing' about Thorin today! Later, Bofur amused her with his songs and jokes. Another one in the 'likes Naya' category.

The next day was much the same, although she did at least try to talk to Dwalin. She slowly worked her way up the column until Aliana was next to his pony. "Ali wanted to ride next to Muffy for awhile," she said with a smile. He grunted, but didn't say anything. She continued to make rather aimless comments for a few minutes without receiving a response. Finally she said, "You don't like me much, do you?" Somewhat to her surprise, he was very blunt, "No I do not. You are not a dwarf, you are a female and you are a distraction."

"All true. Is there nothing to like about me?"

He looked over at her for the first time. "I will credit that you are a good healer and you did save Thorin. Other than that, you seem to be a bit of a baby."

"Ouch. But given what you have seen of me, not an unfair assessment. I hope to prove to you that I am more valuable than you think. Do you ever think you could like me?"

"I do not like many folk. Respect is earned. I may come to respect you someday."

"Fair enough. I appreciate your honesty," she told him.

She slowly let Aliana drop back without saying anything else. Dwalin was still firmly in the dislike group, but with hope. Aliana sidled up to Tuffy, Gloin's pony. "Good day, Tuffy, and how are you and Gloin today?" Tuffy grunted a greeting at Ali which was more than Naya got from Gloin. He just glared. The silence between them grew and thickened. This was a tough nut to crack! "So, Gloin, I will ask you the same question I asked Dwalin. What exactly makes you dislike me so?"

"I find your relationship with Thorin to be an abomination. He is a dwarf of the line of Durin, the next King Under the Mountain. And YOU are a skin changer. A mutant. Even allowing you to touch him once is wrong, and yet I have to see him with you constantly. Why you are with us is beyond me. You should not have come!" Gloin could not stop his words. Not that he wanted to.

She just stared at him. Naya had had no idea he felt this much animosity towards her. "I am sorry you feel that way," was all she could manage to say. Her teeth were clenched so tightly to contain her anger that no words would have come out if she could have thought of any to say. She pulled roughly on Aliana's reins and returned to the back of the column. There would be no winning over of Gloin any time soon, if that disappointing thought, she gave up on dwarves for the rest of the day.

Finally, on the third day, the walls of Mirkwood loomed on the horizon. Naya again began to have second thoughts. Once they entered that dark forest, there would be no turning back. Thorin was still mostly ignoring her for some reason, and she was losing confidence. If not for Bofur, Bilbo, Fili and Kili, she would have turned tail long ago. They made her laugh, but now the final chance to change her mind neared.

She had approached the rest of the dwarves and her original assessments still stood. Nori was a bit wary of her. She got the feeling he was watching and judging her for later. Fair enough. His brother Dori was kind enough, but a bit aloof. All she could get out of Ori was giggles. She had yet to try Bombur and Bifur.

By lunch time, she was more nervous than ever. She kept looking over her shoulder. Naya knew she was hoping her father would come to say goodbye one last time. Half of her hoped he would, the other dreaded that she wouldn't be able to continue if he did. They were just about to dismount at the edge of Mirkwood, when she heard distant hoof beats behind her. Aliana whinnied, so she knew it was not a threat approaching. She turned and started back up the rise they had just descended. In a moment, she could tell it was not her father but her oldest brother Heth, coming up to the group. She met him a hundred yards before the others. She did not need witnesses to a scene with Heth. She never knew how it would end.

"Heth, what are you doing here? Is Poppa coming?" she asked hopefully. Heth reined in his horse. "No, there is trouble up by the Carrock so he sent me to escort the ponies home. He hesitated. "I…I wanted to say goodbye to you Naya." She could hardly contain her surprise. Heth? Sentimental? "I don't know what to say. Thank you."

"I know I have made your life hard, Valinaya, and I'm sorry. I was always just so jealous. You can do everything and I always thought if I was mean enough, I would be as good as you are. I finally realized that I was never going to equal you let alone be better."

Naya was stunned. All these years of teasing and torment from her brother, and he was apologizing! Now, when she was leaving! "I still don't know what to say. Why now, after all these years?"

"I could not let you go, knowing I might never see you again, without telling you, letting you know how much I really did admire your skills. Hated you for having them, but admired them nonetheless." He had the grace to look ashamed.

"Well, I would like to be able to say I forgive you, but I don't think I can right now. Maybe if you had given me time to digest your words. Someday perhaps, but not today. I do appreciate how hard this was for you. Again, thank you." She knew that sounded stiff, but she had never been comfortable with her family. She couldn't get there in minutes because of one apology.

Heth put out his hand. "I would be glad of your forgiveness someday, but I understand your hesitation. I also wanted to give you this." He handed her a small, tightly wrapped package. "Open it later. It's from all of us. A small token that we hope will help you at some point in your journey."

Naya took the little bag. "Oh, Heth, why have we let things wait until it's too late? I'll probably never make it home again, or at least not for a long time. It would have been nice to have you for a friend all this time instead of a tormenter!"

"With age comes wisdom, Naya. And I am finally old enough to be getting a little. Poppa did want me to tell you again to be careful. He loves you, you know. Better than the rest of us."

Tears began to fill her eyes once again. "I really have to go. We want to make it into Mirkwood before dark. Tell Poppa not to work too hard. You boys are big enough now to let him relax a bit!" She put her hand on his arm. "And you be careful, too. Maybe someday we can get to know one another." With that she turned Ali back to the dwarves.

"Goodbye, Naya, stay safe!"

She waved over her shoulder and shouted "Goodbye, Heth." She couldn't bear to look back one last time.

She reached the dwarves and slid off Aliana. She struggled to contain yet more tears. She really was a big baby, wasn't she? She pretended to be very concerned with Ali's bridle. Thorin at last came up to her. "Who was that?"

"My brother, Heth. He came to escort the ponies back home."

"Are you crying, Naya?"

"No…"

Thorin put his arms around her. "Yes, you are. And you have every reason for tears. I know how hard it has been to say goodbye and leave everything you know. I appreciate your sacrifice. And I'm sorry I have been so distracted with Gandalf. I have ignored you. You didn't get 'one new thing' about me for the last two days!"

She sniffed back her tears. "Actually, I got a lot of new things! I have been hanging out with Fili and Kili and they have been happy to tell me new Thorin tidbits every day!"

He laughed. "You will have to let me know what they are. Some corrections might be in order." He looked serious for a moment. "I want you to put your bedroll by mine tonight. I have missed you, and I think we should start this journey by letting everyone know how much I care about you." And with that, in front of the entire company, Thorin Oakenshield kissed Valinaya Beorning with great enthusiasm.

**I like reviews, so please tell me what you think. Chapters long enough or too long? Aiming for around 1500 to 2000 words, so they don't take too long to read.**


	13. Chapter 13

Naya hated Mirkwood. She hated the dark, damp sticky atmosphere that enveloped them all day and night. The air was oppressive. They seemed to make very little progress, mainly because everything looked the same day after day. The only good thing was that she was learning more about Thorin and the dwarves every day. She continued shifting who she walked with. Each dwarf was good for some other kind of information. Today, she was with Balin and intended to get another dwarf history lesson.

"Were you at Erebor before the dragon?" She knew he had been, but she wanted to let him handle things however he wanted to. They seemed to be getting to be better friends these days. She was getting ready to move him to the "Likes Naya" group.

Balin then proceeded to tell her all about Erebor. He really was very good with history and knew how to tell a story. She was fascinated by his description of the great halls and mining operations. It sounded magnificent. "I have hardly ever been underground. We had a few caves in the forest, but there was always a little light. Isn't it awfully dark all the time?"

"No, we had windows carved into the mountain side in the upper levels and down below there were light shafts and lanterns. You would be amazed at how bright it was. And some of the gems we had glowed enough that they were almost lights themselves. Maybe someday you will see the Arkenstone! It shone like a tiny sun."

"Arkenstone? What's that?"

"The prized possession of Erebor. It was found there and was called the Heart of the Mountain. No jewel has ever rivaled it in beauty. Of course, it was lost to Smaug, like so much else. I know Thorin hopes to find it someday."

"Tell me about when the dragon came. Were you there?"

"I would really prefer not to. It was a horrible day of death and destruction. As long ago as it was, it seems like yesterday. That subject and Moria, that we call Azanulbizar, you would be wise to stay away from with dwarves. Some injuries and pains can never be healed."

She put her hand on his shoulder. "Never mind. I wouldn't like to cause you any distress. It's not important."

But it _was_ important, so later she found Bilbo. They once again lagged behind the rest and he was happy to tell her what he had heard Balin tell Fili and Kili. "It really was a terrible battle," he said of Azanulbizar (Moria). "They say so many died that they couldn't bury them in stone which is a great disgrace to dwarves. They burned them instead. Of course, now it is an honor to say an ancestor was 'burned a dwarf'. Without saying anything, it is understood that they died with honor at Moria."

"How terrible! And after all that they did not regain it."

"No, Thror was dead, Thrain missing and so many had died. And the orcs were still there, though much reduced. But that is where Thorin really came into his own. He defeated Azog and gained the Oakenshield part of his name. Folk really started to think that he could be a king someday after that. All he needs now is a kingdom."

"Do you think they will succeed? Will they get Erebor back?"

"I like to think so, but it really is a long shot. How do thirteen dwarves, one not-a-burglar and now one healer defeat a dragon? If they actually have a plan beyond getting in the back door, I'm unaware of it."

Naya decided to move to another topic. Bilbo was in an expansive mood, maybe he would confess to her. "Bilbo, there is something that has always bothered me about you."

He looked surprised. "Me? What about me?"

"Ever since I met you, there just seems to be something a little bit dark hovering about you. I can't explain it. At first it was very strong, but lately I don't seem to notice it as much. Maybe because I know you better. You have no idea what I'm talking about?"

Bilbo suspected that he did know what she was talking about. He was bursting to tell someone about the ring. Could she be trusted? He couldn't bring himself to tell the dwarves, but he _really_ wanted to tell! "Can you keep a secret even from Thorin, especially Thorin?"

"Why, yes. I'm quite good at secrets. What is it?"

Bilbo then told her the story to of finding the ring. "But I don't know why that would make you uncomfortable. It's just a ring."

"Something that can make you invisible is not just a ring, Bilbo. That's pretty powerful magic. Can you show it to me?"

Reluctantly, Bilbo took it from his pocket. Even though he had told her about, now he thought maybe he shouldn't have.

Naya looked at the ring in Bilbo's palm. It looked like just a plain gold ring. Nothing to worry about. She closed her eyes and 'listened'. Faintly, she felt the same aura of discomfort she had felt before. "When was the last time you used it?"

"As we ran down the mountain, before the battle with Azog. I have had no reason to use it since."

"Maybe that's it. Since you have not used it, whatever was causing the discomfort may have faded. I would be careful of it Bilbo. I don't like the way it made me feel. I'm pretty good about things like this. Sometimes I see or sense things that turn out to be true later. I would hate for anything bad to happen to you."

Bilbo returned the ring to his pocket. "Well, it has saved me so far. I don't think there's anything wrong with it, but I will think about your words before I use it again."

After Bilbo, Thorin came over. "It's time for our one new thing, Naya. What do you have for me today?"

"I have never told you that my mother was not a Beorning." Naya told him.

"Really? What was she?" This intrigued Thorin. Naya had so many unexplained talents. Maybe this was the answer.

"My Poppa never told me. He always hinted that she had some type of mystical background. I always used to make up stories about her. She died when I was young, so I never really knew her." It was hard to keep the sadness out of her voice.

Thorin took her hand in his. "That's too bad. Maybe someday he'll tell you."

"If I ever see him again." Once again she felt the pull of home. "Enough about me. What's your new thing?"

"I heard you talking to Balin about the Arkenstone. I stole it once from my grandfather!" His eyes twinkled at her as he made this confession.

"You stole it? Why? What did he do to you?" She liked to think of him as a little dwarfling, sneaking around playing pranks.

"They always made such a fuss over it. I thought it would be fun to take it and hide it. Make them think it really had been lost. Boy, was that a mistake! They started to tear the mountain apart looking for it. Thror was ready to declare war on the world. I tried to sneak it back from where I took it and he caught me red handed."

"What did they do to you? How did you survive?"

"Well, I was very young, so my age probably saved me a little pain, but I spent the rest of the year scrubbing pots, pans and anything else they could find for me to clean. After that, Thror had a special mount made above his throne for it, and it was never unguarded. All because I was a brat."

"And you still are, if you ask me!" Naya teased.

**And the adventure finally moves out. Let me know what you think. Pulled in a bit of movie info and outside of the Hobbit history. **


	14. Chapter 14

They marched on and on and on…Later, Naya found herself walking with Bofur. "Does that axe in Bifur's head bother him? It seems an odd thing for someone to be comfortable with."

"Well, aside from the fact that he can no longer use Common Speech, it does cause him pain. When he was first injured there was nothing they could do. He is lucky just to be alive." He paused, "We were actually wondering if you might be able to help at all." He looked at her hopefully.

"Hmm. I don't know. It looks like an old injury and those are always tougher. Plus it is an axe….in his head… It would be an interesting challenge. I couldn't invest a lot of energy in it at this point, unless you want to wait while I sleep it off for a day or two! I will take a look at the next rest."

When they stopped, Bofur called his cousin over. "Naya has agreed to take a look. She won't make any promises."

Naya stood in front of the dwarf. She could see just from the surface that part of the problem was that the skull had not healed tightly to the axe. When it wobbled, it must cause pain. "I will need to touch you, is that alright?" Bifur nodded eagerly. She put one hand on either side of the axe and closed her eyes. 'Looking' through solid bone was harder than just skin, but she could see that the axe was firmly embedded in his brain. There would be no removal today and probably ever! She could see that there was a dense area trapped just under the edge of the blade. She might be able to 'push' that away. It may or may not affect his speech. The skull could definitely be encouraged to grow a bit tighter. That would help the pain. She opened her eyes.

"I can help with the pain, at least short term. As active as you are, it will only last a few months. If I'm still around, I can always repeat the treatment. Do you want me to continue?" She made no mention of his speech. She didn't want to get his hopes up. Bifur again nodded eagerly. "Very well, it shouldn't hurt much, if at all."

Naya put her hands back and again closed her eyes. She stimulated the cells around the axe to close the wound a bit tighter. Then she 'pushed' the little dark patch away from the axe. It was a risky thing to try, but she did not think it would cause further damage, and Bifur might get lucky with some speech!

She opened her eyes. "Does that feel any better? It will take awhile to take full effect." Bifur stared at her without answering at first. Then, to everyone's amazement, he said, "Much better...thank you," in rusty but clear Common Speech! Bofur slapped Naya on the back in joy. "You did it! You fixed him!"

"Not completely, I don't think he will ever regain all his speech, but he should be able to make himself understood now." She noticed that the other dwarves had gathered around while she worked. All were smiling except for Gloin. He still had a fierce frown on his face. Still in the "Dislikes Naya" column. Dwalin, however, appeared to be smiling ever so slightly.

March, march, march on and on and on. Gloomy, damp, fetid Mirkwood. On this day, she and Thorin's 'one thing' conversation took on a serious tone. Naya started. "Did I ever tell you that I sometimes have visions?"

"Gandalf said your father mentioned them, but there were no details. What do you see?" Thorin was intrigued by this topic.

"It depends. Usually it involves some type of danger. I warned my brothers all the time about injuries they would face if they did something. Mostly, they ignored me, but eventually after being right often enough, they learned to be cautious." Naya remembered how her brothers laughed…at first.

"What are they like? How do you tell what they mean?"

Naya paused. "Most of them are dreams. The sooner the event is going to happen, the clearer they are. Unless it's something really horrible. (She thought of Balin and Moria.) Sometimes I only have one, but the more complicated ones come over and over. The more often I have a vision, the easier it is to figure out. Some of them are like being at the event. I just stand there and watch the action. Then I try to decide what I can change get a different result. Does that make any sense?"

"A little. Is there always something to change? I mean, are any of them just pleasant foreknowledge of a nice event?" Now Thorin wondered if he made any sense.

"No, they are always about bad things and it seems to be a map for things that can be altered. I have never had one that didn't have a better outcome if the subject only listened to my instructions." Naya was quite proud of her record. She had saved her brothers many times after they began to heed her words.

"Well, that is fascinating. I will have to remember to always listen to you! Now, about me…" He grew sad and serious. "You know about my father and grandfather, but did you know I had a brother?"

Naya sensed that this was not going to be a fun conversation. "No, I never heard anyone talk of a brother. What was his name?"

"Frerin. My little brother. He was Fili and Kili rolled into one! Always up for fun and games. Daring and bold. I think sometimes he acted as he did in order to get more attention. Since I was Thrain's heir, I think Frerin felt a bit left out. He was an excellent hunter and a good warrior." Naya reached over and took his hand.

"What happened? Erebor?"

"No, he survived Erebor. All my family did, amazingly. No, he fell at Azanulbizar, like so many others. I found him near what was left of my grandfather. I like to think he died trying to save Thror from Azog. Just another reason to hate orcs." Thorin's voice was low and sad. He squeezed Naya's soft hand. "But we must go on, no matter our losses."

"I'm so sorry Thorin. Life seems to have dealt your family a very bad hand. Perhaps this quest will change that and you will regain what you have lost."

"Perhaps." Thorin didn't sound too hopeful.

They came to the river her father had warned them about. "Don't let the water get on your skin. It will put you to sleep!" So, of course, the only one of the company to get wet was Bombur. They would now have to lug his carcass along until he woke up.

After half a day of this, everyone was tired. Naya, sitting by Thorin slapped her head and said "Idiot!" Thorin looked offended. "What did I do?"

"Nothing, I'm the idiot. When we were children and shot a deer that was too big to carry, we used to build what we called a 'drag'. It made it much easier to get the deer home. We should try it with Bombur." She took a stick and drew a picture in the dirt. "It's very simple. Just two branches with a platform built across them. One dwarf pulls on each branch and the other end of the branch drags behind on the ground. We will need a bigger one for Bombur than for a deer, but if it works, two dwarves should be able to pull him versus four having to carry. And it should be easier."

Dwalin looked skeptical. "How can that be? He's still the same weight as before."

"I can't explain it, I just know that it worked. It's worth trying. You will wear yourselves out carrying him."

Thorin stood. "Come Dwalin. I never knew you to turn your back on a challenge. Let's cut some branches!"

It didn't take them long to find the material for the drag. They used smaller branches to make a platform and laid Bombur's cloak across to help support his weight. The dwarves heaved him onto the drag. Dwalin and Bifur picked up the two ends and put them over their shoulders. They leaned in and pulled forward. To their amazement, Bombur's bulk slid across the forest floor! They had to be careful not to get snagged on tree roots, but this was much easier than carrying his fat fanny!

Dwalin turned to Naya. "I offer my apologies. You are absolutely correct. This is much easier. Thank you."

Naya smiled at him. Move Dwalin closer to the 'Likes Naya' group. She had just scored some points!

Even with Bombur on the drag, progress remained slow. Their food was getting low and everyone was hungry. Valinaya had shown the dwarves and Bilbo how to find water captured in plant leaves. It was not nearly enough, but it was better than nothing. She was not sure what they could safely eat so made no recommendations.

Late one afternoon, they heard horns blowing in the distance. "What's that?" she asked. Beside her Thorin snarled, "Elves. It must be elves hunting. No one else would be in this forest."

"Elves!" she said excitedly. "Surely they would help us. Why don't we try to meet up with them!"

She was shocked when Thorin turned on her with a look of anger on his face. "Don't fall for the idea that elves are always kind and helpful. They are just as likely to leave you to die. Especially Wood Elves. I would not trust them within an inch of my life."

"But…but, elves aren't like that."

"And how would you know? Listening to stories in your forest? You need to be out in the real world before you can make statements like that. I know from experience that they will abandon you." Every inch of his body was tight with rage and anger. She had never seen him like this. She realized now she was seeing the Thorin that he had warned her about back at her cottage. He scared her. "What makes you say that? I need to know!"

"EREBOR," he yelled. "EREBOR taught me that!" He strode back and forth with quick steps of anger.

When he could finally speak, he told her how after the dragon had chased them out of Erebor, the surviving dwarves had started to march, somewhat aimlessly away from the mountain. They had little or no food, only the clothes they were wearing and not much else. Finally, in the distance, they saw what appeared to be an army of elves high upon a bluff. They waved and screamed at them to help them. "I have a vivid memory of Thranduil, their king, staring down and then turning away. They had not come to help, they had come to loot. When they saw there was no hope of treasure, they left. Never tried to see what we might need, never offered even a crust of bread or a night's shelter. I don't know how many died because of them. We had many injured that might have been saved if someone could have tended to their wounds. I will never forgive them, never. And I will never trust them!"

Naya was silent. "I didn't know. I always thought elves were these wonderful people who helped." Thorin put his arm around her. "I'm sorry I yelled. But you need to learn that not everything is sweetness and light in the world."

"You think I don't know that? I wouldn't have left my home if all was sweetness and light. I just didn't realize elves were as bad as everyone else. That is so sad. Another blot on the world."

Thorin felt a little ashamed at destroying her vision of elves. "Well, Elrond in Rivendell did assist us with our map. And our supplies. So, they aren't all bad. Wood elves are another story. I will never trust them."

"Never is a very long time, Thorin. Never say 'never'."

"When it comes to Wood elves, I feel pretty confident saying 'never'" was the reply.

**The drag is really a travois, but since there is no French in Middle Earth, I just called it a drag. **


	15. Chapter 15

Their food was gone, water was scarce. Naya sat and stared at her backpack. She picked it up and sorted through the contents. When she got to the bottom, she found the long forgotten gift from her brother. In all this time, she hadn't even thought about it. It was a small bag wrapped with string. Opening it, she found it full of small seeds. After looking at them in disbelief for what seemed like a lifetime, she burst into tears. Of course, it was Dwalin who was the nearest dwarf.

"Oh come on, cut the waterworks! Is that all you ever do? Cry? It's getting very old," he barked.

"You don't understand," she stammered. "This is a gift from my brother. You have no idea what it means to me and to us as a group."

Dwalin scoffed, "What, lifesaving in a little bag! Let me see…" He reached to grab the bag from her. "NO! These are very special seeds. We can't afford to waste even one. Naya handed Dwalin about six of the seeds. "Chew them as long as you can before swallowing." He did so. "Big deal. A nice nutty little taste, but there are not enough in that bag to feed me for one day let alone long enough to get us out of this miserable wood."

Naya waited while he finished chewing the seeds. She let another minute go by and then asked, "How do you feel?"Dwalin looked suspicious. "What are they, poison? I feel fine."

"Stop and really_ think_ about how you feel. Notice anything different?"

Dwalin tilted his head up in contemplation. Slowly a look of amazement came over his face. "I'm not hungry! For the first time in days I'm actually not hungry! All that from those little seeds?"

"Yes. They are from a very rare tree that only grows in our Forest, as far as we know. While the seeds will provide just a little nutrition, their biggest advantage is that you will not feel hungry for almost an entire day. We can still starve to death, but we will not feel like it. And, they will improve our chances." She looked down again at the little bag. "It took my brother ages to amass this many seeds. I can't imagine how many hours he invested in the harvest. The fact that he gave them to me…well, you wouldn't understand. But it's a very extravagant gift. I am stunned. I'm crying because it is a sign of how much he must have cared. Something I never even knew. And now it's too late…"

Dwalin looked at her. "Why too late?" Naya raised her head, "Because I may never see him again to tell him 'thank you' and that I forgive him."

"Never say 'never', Naya," Dwalin smiled as he tossed her own words to Thorin back at her. "You may return someday . And, if it makes you feel any better, you have earned my respect. Please consider yourself one of my friends." With that, he stood up and moved away without another word.

Naya watched him go, her mouth hanging open. Chalk one up to her! Dwalin was in the 'Likes Naya' group! She stood and walked over to Thorin. She told him about the gift and what it could mean to them. Thorin called the others over and Naya handed each one a small amount of seed. There was enough left to last for quite some time, if they were careful.

Gloin had not joined the lineup. Naya walked over to him. "Gloin, these will help you get through the day. Please take some." He just glared at her, turned his back and walked away. Still no victory with that one, she thought.

"Never mind him, lass," said Bofur. "He might come 'round if he gets hungry enough. These seeds are amazing!"

"I hope you're right."

While the seeds suppressed the hunger pangs, they could not replace the energy they were losing from not having real food. The pace of the march slowed daily and they were all getting desperate. The only bright spot was that Bombur finally woke up. Hungry and full of tales of feasting, at least they didn't have to drag him anymore. Each night, Naya cuddled up to Thorin for comfort. On this night, she brought up the forbidden topic. "Thorin, I think we need to try and contact the elves." Periodically, they had heard again the horns of the hunt and seen lights at night. She felt him tense. "I know you hate the idea, but even with the seeds, we are starting to weaken. Are you willing to lose your life because of pride? To fail in your quest? It seems a waste to have come so far, suffered so much, only to starve in this miserable place. I, for one, would crawl to my worst brother (and believe me, he is pretty bad) and beg for bread crusts before I would let that happen. Please let us seek help!"

To her amazement, after his first tense response, Thorin relaxed and muttered, "I have begun to reach the same conclusion. It makes me angry thinking about it. I just cannot bear to be beholden to Thranduil of all people."

"Better beholden than dead. I think if we sought out some of the lights in the night that we could make some sort of contact." She reached out and stroked his face. It had been very hard being so close to him all these nights without being able to act the way they both wanted to act. Too many dwarves…." If we can get out of this blasted forest, we could actually be alone together," she reminded him. In answer, he pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. "That reward in itself makes contacting elves worthwhile."

It took a few more minutes of very enjoyable activity before Thorin rose. He called for everyone's attention. "If we see any of those wood lights tonight, I have decided to try and contact whoever is responsible. I will take Naya with me, the rest of you will remain on the path to guide us back if we should fail. Any questions?" No one said anything. They were all ready to have this nightmare end.


	16. Chapter 16

The lights appeared a few hours later. Thorin and Naya stood and walked to the edge of the path. They had been warned of the dangers of leaving it, but they no longer had any other options. The plan was to approach the lights, ask for help and guide whoever was there back to the rest of the group. If all went well. If it did not, they might become hopelessly lost. Naya was hoping her wood skills would be of some use if they couldn't reach help. The rest of the company milled around. Splitting up made sense at this point, but it was going to be nerve wracking until they could join back up.

Thorin led the way, Naya a few steps behind. They tried to walk in as straight a line as the trees allowed. They had not gone all that far when the lights began to brighten. Slowing their pace, they tried to see what lay ahead. One moment Thorin was just ahead of Naya. The next, the lights flared into stark brightness and just as suddenly all was black. Thorin was gone, and Naya fell to the ground stunned.

When she woke, she knew it was dawn or later. The canopy had taken on the eerie glow of daylight. Her head ached. She tried to remember what had happened and where she was. Slowly her mind cleared. She was alone in Mirkwood. Thorin was gone. Where were the path and the rest of the dwarves? She tried to orient herself. In order to improve her senses, she shifted to her dog shape. Her nose detected faint traces of Thorin among the undergrowth. What she assumed must be elf scent was also present. Following her nose, she moved slowly along a path of lightly crushed vegetation. The others faded out of her mind. Thorin was all that mattered now. She would find him, she always would.

The scent continued to lead her on. The path was hard to follow but the two together made it possible. She tried to ignore the fact that she was alone and starving. If she did not locate help soon, it wouldn't matter if she found Thorin, because she would run out of energy to continue. Finally, after hours of pushing along the tiny path, the trees began to thin. Ahead she could see a vast clearing. She crept slowly to the edge of the trees to spy out the area.

The elven palace was a vast building created of trees and stone. It soared into the upper branches of the trees, and spread out along the banks of a river. Naya could see a gate reached by an arching bridge over the river. After staring for a few minutes she could see that there were guards at the gate. Even as hungry as she was, she settled down under the trees to think about her best course of action.

About an hour later, she heard voices coming down the road towards the bridge. She watched in amazement as all of the dwarves except for Thorin were marched through the gate! They were guarded by a platoon of elves and for some reason they were covered in white goo. As she puzzled about the goo, she remembered all of the webs they had begun to see amongst the trees on the last few days of the trek. Those must have been some spiders. Shuddering, she was very glad she had missed _that_ part of the journey!

Another few hours passed. Part of her was happy to know that the dwarves were safe, but she now realized she did not have many options left. With the dwarves out of the forest, there was no chance of help there. And the prospect of meeting spiders? It would have to be the elves. She stood up, rooted around in her pack and pulled out her sole garment, a thin white tunic. It was rumpled and creased. Perfect. She put it on and smeared leaf litter over it. Walking to the end of the bridge, she waited until the guards came rushing out to meet her. "Please, can someone help me? I'm so very lost!"

The guards took her into the guard house. On the table she could see a pitcher of something and a loaf of bread. It was all she could do not to grab it and stuff it into her mouth. One of the elves noticed her stare. "Go ahead, help yourself. I wouldn't eat too quickly though, you might make yourself sick."

Without replying she picked up a cup and poured the liquid into it. Who knew water could be so grand? It was sweet and cool and wet. She moved on to the bread. At first, she tried to go slowly, but in the end she was tearing big hunks off each time. In between sips of the wonderful water, the bread was gone in a matter of minutes. Life was good! "I'm sorry for being such a pig," she mumbled through the bread," but I have had nothing to eat for days."

The ploy worked. The elves didn't seem to connect her with the dwarves at all. The captain sent for instructions and she was taken inside. They put her in a comfortable bedroom and told her to wait, someone would bring her a more substantial meal shortly. The room had a large window that faced an enormous tree whose branches reached out towards the glass. She filed that information away for future use…

A knock sounded at the door and an elven woman brought her a tray. Naya managed to control herself a bit better this time, but it was a battle. The food was delicious. She ate her fill and then lay down on the bed. The decision made, all she could do was wait and see what happened next. Between the food and the long hike, she was exhausted. Her eyes closed and once again she began to dream.

The dream was much more in focus than before. She was in a vast torch lit cavern. The smell of smoke and sulfur accosted her nose, but the amazing sight before her caused her to barely notice the odor. The room was full of gold. Not piles or boxes or bags. No, it was awash in a sea of gold. Jumbled and tumbled and mounded gold. In the dim light she could not see the ends of the cavern, but she got the sense that it was huge. Some ways away a figure had its back to her. She could not make it out. A dwarf? Certainly not an animal. When she tried to walk forward, she slipped and slid across the gold, making no progress. She called out, "Hello? Hello?" The figure did not turn.

The dream changed. She was looking across a great field of battle. Corpses littered the ground. They were blurry and she could not see who they were. Just that there were thousands….

Again the scene shifted. She saw Thorin and the rest of the dwarves donning mail and weapons for battle. She noticed that Thorin had a dwarf sword. All of the armor was beautifully made of the finest materials. They headed towards a block wall, armed to the teeth. Where was Orcrist?

A knock sounded at the door and Naya jolted awake. Damn. Things were just getting interesting! "Come in." A head popped around the door. "I'm sorry to disturb you. Would you care for a bath?" It was the elf who had brought the tray. "I would like nothing better!" rejoiced Naya.

The elf took her a short distance down the hall to a room with a tub. She showed her where everything was and left her to luxuriate in her first bath in ages. The water was just the right temperature, the soap was scented and she was filthy. It took awhile, but she managed to get the stink of Mirkwood off her skin. Then she was faced with a dilemma. She had just the one item of clothing, but she did not want to wear it dirty. If she washed it, it would be too wet to wear. Getting out of the tub, she poked around the room. In a chest, she found a robe. Better thief than naked. She did not want to wear her skin as clothing around here. She knew they would figure out sooner or later that she was a skin changer, and she wanted to be wearing _something_ when they did!

Returning to her room, she noticed a discrete guard a bit down the hall. Not a prisoner, but not exactly a trusted guest either. Good to know where she stood. She draped her tunic over one chair in her room to dry and sat in the other. Eventually, someone would tell her what to do. She tried to remember as much of her dreams as possible. She knew she would have them again. As the events they depicted grew closer in time, the dreams would become clearer. Sometimes it was good to compare previous versions to more recent ones. Things that changed were as important as things that stayed the same.

In the evening, Naya received another tray of food. The elf said that she should get some sleep and that someone would be by in the morning to talk with her. This suited her just fine. She needed a good night's rest to be at her best for an interrogation.

When Thorin stepped towards the light, he was greeted with a flash and darkness. Then light began to return and he found himself the prisoner of a group of elves. He tried to tell them about Naya, but they wouldn't listen. As he was marched away into the forest, he began to contemplate what had been happening with her over the last few weeks. Maybe this was for the best. Recently, he had begun to have second thoughts about his relationship with her. Dwalin and Gloin had been after him about how inappropriate it was for a member of the House of Durin to be so intimate with an outsider.

As hard as he tried to ignore their words, he had found himself listening. If he regained Erebor, he knew he would face more scrutiny of his life than at any other time. Valinaya would not be an asset. Now that he was separated from her, he was determined to erase her from his mind. She grew up in the forest, and she could take care of herself. That was what he told himself, over and over without much success.

The elves took him to the palace in the wood. Great, Thranduil. His very favorite elf was his captor. They had taken Orcrist when they first seized him, and he doubted he would ever see the blade again. They shoved him a cell, but at least had the grace to feed him. Once he was alone, his thoughts returned to Naya. If they were reunited, he would leave her in Lake Town. It was the right thing to do, he was sure. She would be better off without him.

**Don't forget to leave reviews! **

**OOPs Reloading this because you all got a preview of part of the story FAR in advance. I was working on new chapters while I was adding this one. You'll see it eventually. Thanks Borys!  
**


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry for any confusion on the last chapter if you read the one with the "addition" error after the plea for reviews. If you got the corrected version, ignore this note!**

Morning brought another tray and word for Naya to be ready in one hour. Her tunic was dry so she traded it for the robe she had snitched. An hour later, the knock at the door brought a guard to escort her. "Where are we going? Who am I going to see?" she asked. "The throne room and the king," was the blunt reply. Naya wanted to ask a million questions, but kept her silence. She couldn't be sure the answers she got would be the truth anyway.

They entered the throne room through two vast doors. There were other people in the room but not a crowd. The guard took her over by a window. "We will wait here for now. The king has other business to attend to before you." She detected just a hint of superiority in his voice. That was fine with her. Now she had a chance to observe the situation before being called to act upon the stage.

The king sat in a beautifully carved throne upon a raised dais at the head of the room. Arms made of what appeared to be living branches embraced thick cushions on the seat. Flowers and leaves interwove around the structure. It was very beautiful. Elves had an eye for nature, if nothing else, she thought. The ceiling soared far over head.

It was hard to hear what was being said. A group of elves was standing before the throne speaking to the king. He made some brief reply and they departed. Similar scenes were played out over the next hour or so. She grew tired of watching and moved over to the window to look out. The guard noted her movements but did not stop her. The scene out this window was much like the one outside of her bedroom. Enormous trees with limbs thick enough to walk on stretched into the distance. Suddenly, she felt an odd sensation. She wrinkled her brow as she tried to place it. Then she remembered! Very softly, she whispered, "Bilbo, is that you?"

"Yes. I hoped you could sense me."

"What are you doing here? Did you come with the other dwarves? What happened?"

"No time for that now. I will try to find you later to explain. I just wanted you to know I was here."

"VALINAYA BEORNING!" A voice boomed. Her guard walked over and took her arm. Not risking an answer to Bilbo, she went to face the king. Arriving at the throne, she finally got a good look at Thranduil. He was tall and fair with pale eyes. He wore a crown of interwoven branches of gold and silver. He didn't_ look _like an evil looter….He gazed down at her. "What were you doing in my wood without permission," he asked quietly. Naya was not fooled. This elf was all about power and command. The tone might be soft, but the words were steel.

"I was trying to get to Lake Town. I didn't realize permission was required. There were no signs…." She knew she was playing with fire, but his attitude irritated her. He ignored her rudeness. "You thought you would be able to make it through Mirkwood on your own? A little thing such as yourself?" This time it was her turn to ignore the rudeness. "Yes, I am quite competent in a normal wood. Unfortunately, Mirkwood is anything but normal. You really should provide more assistance to travelers." Ooh, she was going to pay for that. Payment came due quite quickly.

"You are the daughter of Beorn, are you not? Are you a skin changer like he is?" She took a deep breath. The moment of truth had come a lot sooner than she had expected. A day or two's grace would have been nice. "Yes, I am his daughter and yes, I am a skin changer. But," she added, sorrowfully, "not a very good one."

"What do you mean, you either are or you aren't."

"Not true. Some are more skilled than others. I am the least skilled. It was one of the reasons I left. I got tired of being the least." She tried to make her attitude and voice somewhat pitiful.

"How can one be a bad skin changer?" Thranduil was not going to let the matter drop.

"My family's signature form is a bear. I can barely achieve the form, but then I look small and moth eaten. You may have noticed that I don't have the stature of my father." This was a gross understatement. Naya was feet shorter than any of her kin. "Prove it," was the totally unexpected reply.

"P-p-prove it?" she stammered. "How?"

"The obvious way. Show me your bear. I insist you change for me. Now," he ordered imperiously. This was not going at all well. How humiliating. She had never imagined having to perform in front of people, let alone a king. (At least a king that wasn't Thorin.)

"B-b-but I would have to take my clothes off. I-I-I don't think…." Her stammer was more pronounced now. To make matters worse the room seemed much more crowded than before. "Bring a screen for her," Thranduil ordered. "You will change or I will throw you in prison until you do." A screen was brought and Naya went behind it. She gritted her teeth in anger. Thorin had been right, at least about Thranduil. She did NOT like him AT ALL. She removed the tunic (Thank goodness she had prepared!) and changed into her bear. She really hadn't been lying. Her bear was terrible. It was the one shape she had never been able to pull off, regardless of how hard she tried. You would think that a small figure would have turned into a cuddly baby bear, but no, her bear look like a drunk coming off a bender involving some brawling. She was scrawny and patches of fur always seemed to be missing. She was the very definition of moth eaten. After changing, cringing inwardly, she ambled out from behind the screen. She tried to hide herself from most of the room, while showing herself to the king. Still, she heard snickers from some of the nearby elves.

He just stared at her, then committed the sin of laughing slightly. "Well, I will say you are not lying. That is a terrible bear." She let her head drop in shame. Since she couldn't speak, she couldn't get in trouble by blurting out the rude comments running through her head. "Enough. Change back and return to face me." Naya scuttled back to the screen and quickly restored her form and clothes. She returned to face Thranduil. Her face still burned with humiliation. The questions now took a more disturbing direction. "Did you travel with or meet any dwarves? Were there any at your father's house?"

This was the tricky part. You never knew what others had said. She tried to stick as closely as possible to reality. "There were dwarves at my father's. I wanted to travel with them but they refused. Said I would be too much trouble," she said resentfully. "I followed them anyway, figuring if I got in trouble, they still might help. Once my food ran out I got desperate and left the path. That's when I got lost."

"Why didn't you ask the dwarves for food?"

"I was going to, but after eavesdropping on their talk, I knew they didn't have any to spare. I knew it would be a waste of time to ask. After hearing the horns, I decided to try and make contact with a hunting party. I could never seem to get my timing right."

Thranduil looked at her. "Very well. As an act of goodwill to your father, I give you limited permission to remain here for now. I will have someone show you where you can and cannot go. What will you do now?" Naya thought quickly. "I would like to eventually make it to Lake Town. That was my goal. I see no reason to change it if I can find someone to escort me."

"Groups travel back and forth on occasion. You will be informed when you can leave. Until then, you are my guest." He looked at her for a moment. "See that you behave yourself."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, I will." As long as it suits me, she thought to herself. Before she could back away, she sensed a presence that she had longed to feel. Thorin! Schooling her face to show no emotion, she turned. Coming through the door under guard was her king! His hands were bound and he was _not_ happy, but he looked fairly healthy. She began to edge through the crowd. In a way, she hoped he wouldn't notice her. At least not until she was sure he would not let Thranduil know that they knew each other.

The guards dragged the unwilling dwarf up to the throne. Thranduil looked him up and down with contempt on his face. "What were you doing in my forest?" Thorin returned the king's contempt look for look. "Walking," he sneered. "What did you hope to accomplish?" Here Thorin mirrored some of Naya's attitude, "To get to the other side." Thranduil's anger began to appear in his voice. "And what were you going to do on the other side?"

"That would be my private business," was the equally angry reply. "Since when is it forbidden to walk on a road through any forest in Middle Earth?"

"Since it became necessary for me to control the riff raff that think they can make use of my lands however they please!" At these words, Thorin lunged against the guards holding him. He must have known that it was a futile gesture, but dwarves excelled at those when they were angry. And Thorin was irate. The king continued, "Who are you?" Naya knew there was a good chance Thranduil knew the answer already, but it was all about power now. If he could make Thorin answer, he would score more points. Thorin, of course, refused to answer. "Again, none of your business," he snarled. "And where did you steal this from?" He motioned behind him and a guard pulled Orcrist from a cupboard behind the throne. Naya caught her breath and watched intently. "This is far too excellent a blade to be in the possession of a dwarf. I demand to know where you got it!" Thorin did not deign to make a reply. His glare became even fiercer, if that was possible.

"Very well. Until you answer these questions, you will be my 'guest'. Guards, take him back to his cell. If and when he chooses to answer, advise me. Until then." And he turned his back on the room. Orcrist was returned the cupboard, Naya noted. The guards made to remove Thorin. He put up minimal struggle, mostly for show. This was her chance. Thorin was in such a state that any look that came over his face would most likely be unnoticed. She slipped to the front of the crowd near the door. As he walked by her, she looked directly into his eyes. He most definitely saw her, but made no outward notice. She hoped he felt as uplifted by this meeting as she did. They both had survived and there was hope that they could soon be together.

Naya _was_ here. After facing that elf, Thorin had turned in a rage only to face the one he was trying so hard to forget. It was obvious she was not a prisoner since she stood freely in a group of elves. Another reason to let her go. She was collaborating with the enemy. He stared blankly at her and moved on. He tried to tell himself the reason his gut hurt was elf food, not thoughts of her betrayal.

After Thorin left, a few more petitioners appeared before the king. Then there was another commotion at the door. To Naya's amazement, it looked like the guards were bringing all of the other dwarves to appear before Thranduil! This could get ugly. She backed through the room again to her previous post. She ended up standing next to a tall elf who appeared as interested in the proceedings as she.

The dwarves were behaving as usual i.e., badly. They were pushing, shoving, making, rude noises and in general doing everything they could to live down to the elves opinions of them. Once they were in front of the king, it was impossible to hear anything over the roar they made. Naya got the feeling they were asked the same questions as Thorin. She also got the feeling that their answers were a lot ruder than his. Finally, Thranduil gave up. "Silence! You will join your leader in captivity until you can learn some manners and answer my questions. Take them away!" The dwarves were dragged out and peace returned to the room.

"That was quite a show," said the tall elf.

"Can you blame them?" Naya replied. "It's very disconcerting to be in a forest and then thrown in jail. I'm not a prisoner, but I didn't know that until just now. Why are they so angry with each other? It was like they had some personal complaints." Naya knew perfectly well what Thorin's complaint was, but what was Thranduil's side?

"Dwarves are dirty and disgusting, as you have just seen. And they allowed a dragon to take Erebor."

"Allowed a dragon? I have heard that once a dragon makes up his mind that he would like your gold, you really don't have any say in the matter. And if it was that easy, why didn't Thranduil go and retrieve the treasures?" Naya said this with her best look of wide-eyed innocence. He probably didn't buy it, but she had to try. "Actually, he did. We were there a few days after the attack to assess the situation. It was obvious from the destruction that there was nothing we could recover."

"You were there? What was it like?"

The elf thought for a moment. "As if a great fire had come and scorched the country for miles around. Not a twig or shrub was spared. The dwarves were strung out for miles across the land. It was pitiful."

"It was nice that you were there to help. I would think that the dwarves would be forever grateful for the assistance." Again, she knew that had not happened. She wanted to hear the excuse. The elf had the grace to look a bit ashamed. "Uh, we did not assist them. Once the king saw he would not be able to gain anything, he had us go back."

"But why? I would think that they would have lost everything to the dragon. Surely they needed food and shelter? I have always heard of the nobility of the elves. It sounds like the natural thing to do!" Her voice was rising a bit with outrage. She took a deep breath. It would never do to reveal what she already knew.

"You do not know Thranduil. Perhaps other elves would have helped. The king does that which will gain him something. Helping the dwarves would most likely have cost him more than he would gain. It was a simple decision in his mind." Again, a note of shame was in his voice.

"Well, I think it is sad that they were not helped. I know my father would have acted differently. He may have a reputation for being irritable, but when folk are in need, he steps up, no matter the cost," she said proudly.

"Then you are fortunate in having such a father. Others are not so lucky." With those words, he moved away into the crowd.


	18. Chapter 18

After the elf left, Naya did one circuit around the room trying to find any sense that Bilbo was there. She thought she had briefly sensed him with the arrival of the dwarves, but now it had faded. Leaving the throne room, she retraced her steps to her room. The guard was still in the hall. "Thranduil said I was to learn where I can and cannot go. Do you know who I see?" she asked. He looked at her. "I can do that. It is fairly simple. You may go to the throne room, the dining hall and anywhere _above _stairs. If you descend a staircase, you are in violation. You will be caught, please do not try it," he cautioned.

"May I go outside?"

"I will have to check on that. I believe you can, but please remain inside until I can verify the rules. I will report to you later today."

"Thank you. I'm in no rush to see more trees, but I don't want to violate any restrictions. Could you show me the dining hall and is there by any chance a library?" She may as well make her time here as useful as possible. The guard led her back past the throne room, showed her the dining hall and then opened another door down a side hall. "The Library," he said. Nodding her thanks, Naya entered.

The Library was a large comfortable room filled floor to ceiling with books. She stood at the door and stared. So many books, so little time. A few elves were scattered about the room in chairs and at tables reading and writing. It was very calm and peaceful after the throne room. She noticed a desk off to one side that seemed more 'official' then some of the other tables. Naya approached the elf seated there, "Excuse me, are you the librarian?" The elf looked up, surprised. "Why, yes, I am. And you are?" She introduced herself and asked if there were any books in the Common Speech. "Some. Mostly literature and few histories. What are you interested in?"

"I was wondering if you had any poetry and any histories of Lake Town. I'm trying to get there and am curious to find out everything I can about it."

"I do have a few books of poetry. I will take you to the Common Speech section. It is not that large and it would be easy enough for you to browse the collection. We have some histories, too, but I do not know if they are what you want." He led her along the walls to a bookcase. "This is all we have. Very few non elves visit us, so we do not have many requests for them. Please feel free to explore," he said with a smile. "If you find something you like, bring it to the desk. I will take note of it and you may remove it to your room. Return it when you are finished."

Naya scanned the shelves. She picked up a small book of poetry and pretended to look at it. This one did not matter. It was more of a disguise than anything else. The histories were another matter. Instead of Lake Town, she was really interested in Erebor, Dale and Smaug. The only one she found was pretty thin, but it was better than nothing. She randomly chose another about Lake Town and went to the librarian. "These look interesting. I will start with them." He noted down the titles and handed them back. "Enjoy. Someone is almost always here to assist you. If not, just write down your books on this form". He showed her the one he had filled out. Very trusting, the library elves were. How refreshing. "Thank you that seems easy enough." With that, she returned to her room.

As soon as she entered the room, she knew Bilbo was either there or had been there. She closed the door tightly and turned around. "Bilbo?" she whispered. "I'm here," a quiet voice replied from near the window. "Thank goodness! I am so glad to, er, hear you," she exclaimed. "How are Thorin and the rest? Are they being treated well?"

"They're all fine. Not as comfortable as you, but fed well enough. Each is in a separate cell somewhat scattered in the lower levels. I had a devil of a time finding Thorin. They put him in the deepest hole they could find."

Naya's heart beat in pain. "You've talked with him? Did he mention me? I know he saw me today!"

"Of course, he asked about you. He wants you to return to your father. He feels you would be safer with Beorn now than with him."

"That will never happen! You tell him my place is at his side now and forever. He can just forget that idea. It will not happen. Rather to rot with elves than leave him now," she whispered angrily. The quiet voice soothed, "Don't worry, that is what I told him you would say." Naya smiled. "And what about you Bilbo? How are you doing?" Before he could reply, there was a knock at the door. Naya whirled around as it opened. The guard stuck his head in. "I have the answer to your question," he said, looking around curiously. "Who were you talking to?"

Naya picked up the little book of poetry. "Oh, just reading this aloud to myself. I find poetry read aloud to be very soothing. You get so much more out of it that way, don't you think?"

"Not much for poetry, I must say. Anyway, you may go outside but only within sight of the guards at the main gate or if someone escorts you. Did you require my assistance with anything else?"

"No, thank you, I believe that is all for now. Are you always stationed in the hall if I should need something?"

"Not always. It is only because of the new prisoners. I may or may not be there every day. You can usually find someone in the dining hall or throne room who can assist you," he answered. She nodded her head. "Thank you, again, you have been so helpful." He turned and walked out, closing the door behind.

She leaned her head against the door and sighed in relief. "That was close!" Naya noticed that there was now a key in the lock. It had not been there before. A new benefit of being an approved guest, apparently. She turned it in the lock. "Well, that was quick thinking," Bilbo said from the window." As soon as she locked the door, he took the ring off.

"That was one of the reasons I got the book. Always good to plan your alibi ahead of time," she said with a grin.

Bilbo proceeded to tell her what he had learned about the palace. "Below stairs, where you are forbidden to go, is mostly storage, guard rooms and of course, the prison cells. For a 'kindly' elf, Thranduil seems to have quite a few of them. I will say that the dwarves appear to be the only prisoners, and as I said, they are scattered about the whole underground area. There aren't a lot of guards, given the size. Probably no real need. Who is going to come and rob the place? Right now, I don't see any easy way of getting them away from here. Rest assured that I am working on it."

"How are you, personally? Are you able to get enough food, and where are you sleeping?" She was worried about him. It had only been a few days, but he seemed paler and less cheerful than usual.

"I scrounge around the kitchens at night and I can sleep most anywhere, as long as I am sure no one will sit on me or trip!" He tried to sound upbeat, but he had to admit that being invisible was wearing a bit thin. For someone as social as Bilbo, having no one to talk with was hard.

"Now that there is a lock on the door, why don't you sleep here? You can share the bed or if you aren't comfortable with that idea, how about one of the chairs or even the floor? In the morning, you can resume your prowling. We would have to be very quiet, but I worry about you and that ring, as you well know." Naya put her arm around his shoulders. "I know it is very useful and indispensable right now, but I wish we could do without it."

Bilbo was grateful for her sensitivity. The dwarves could be a bit harsh, even when they liked you. He had missed that since leaving the Shire. He and Naya had not interacted all that much, given her fascination with Thorin. "I would appreciate the place to sleep. I might not be here every night. I find that some things can only be discovered in the wee hours! I believe I am small enough to curl up in one of these chairs. Thorin would not be thrilled to learn I had assumed his place," he noted with a wry smile.

"What Thorin does not know, can't hurt him, and I have no way of telling him, do I?" teased Naya. "Sleep where you will. If the door is locked, knock like this." She demonstrated a little pattern upon the table. "It's not too complicated but unlikely to be duplicated. And I will see about bringing a little food from the dining hall on occasion. I doubt they would notice or even care."

Over the next few days, they settled into a routine. During the day, Bilbo was out exploring and visiting with the dwarves or napping. Naya sent little messages to all of them, but especially Thorin. She didn't embarrass Bilbo by making him tell Thorin what she really wanted to say. They had decided not to use paper messages. The risk of discovery was more than anyone wanted to take. If she was disappointed in Thorin's lack of messages back to her, she tried not to over think it. He was probably too embarrassed to let Bilbo hear his thoughts.

Naya spent her day in the library reading and hoping to hear some news in the dining hall. No one ever really talked to her. She was almost as invisible as Bilbo, but without the ring. At night, she would leave the door unlocked so he could come and go as needed. When he turned in, he locked it.

Life in Thranduil's palace seemed rather boring to Naya. As far as she could tell, no one did much of anything. Bilbo said that regular patrols went out into Mirkwood, and that there were hunting parties like they had heard. Inside though, it seemed to be a lot of talking, eating and singing. Uh oh, she found herself getting bored. Never a good sign. Even her dreams seemed to have stopped. That might be due to Bilbo's presence. She rarely dreamed when someone else was around.

Finally, after a week, Bilbo came into the room. Excitedly, he told Naya his discovery. "There is a huge cavern under the palace where the river runs underneath. Every few weeks, the elves have to send barrels back to Lake Town. Many of them are quite large, and I think they may be able to accommodate a dwarf! Once they are lined up, they are pushed into the river. They just float back on their own without anyone watching." Naya could hardly contain her excitement. "Well, that is about one third of a plan. How do we get them out of the cells, and when does the next load of barrels go?" she asked.

"I have figured out which of the guards have the cell keys. The last load of barrels was sent off a week or so ago, so they will not be doing it for a few more days. And, apparently, there is some big gala event occurring in just another few days. It only happens once a year and only a handful of guards are left on duty. From what I understand, it's not unheard of for even them to get a little lax on duty, if you know what I mean." He made a drinking motion and a glugging sound. "The whole event is built around this potent wine that comes up the river at this time of year. Apparently, it is the only time old Thranduil loosens up and acts like a benevolent dictator."

"We will need to learn as much as we can about this event. It sounds like our only chance any time soon to get the company out of here in time. Durin's Day is fast approaching. Have you talked to Thorin about it?" She wondered how he would take the whole 'stuff a dwarf in a barrel idea'. Not well, was her guess.

"Not yet. I wanted to run it by you and also to have it more finalized. I don't want to get any hopes up."

Naya agreed. "We can present it as a done deal. Maybe let them know to be ready at a moment's notice on the day. Otherwise, I can see them getting antsy and giving something away. I did notice that the king is not having Thorin brought to the throne room as often. It must get aggravating having someone snarl at you when questioned." After that first time, Thorin never again said a single word.

With renewed enthusiasm, they threw themselves into the planning operation. Bilbo watched the barrel room and the guard routine. He questioned the dwarves to find out if they knew anything useful. Naya listened to all of the chatter about the gala. As Bilbo had heard, it was the big event. The wine was about the only alcohol that could intoxicate an elf, and they went whole hog once a year. The only rule was that there were none. Some refrained from attending, but they confined themselves to their rooms to stay out of the way of the revelers. The rest started early and finished late. Not much was ever accomplished the next day. If Bilbo and Naya could pull this off correctly, the escape might not even be discovered for quite some time. Because of the incapacity of almost everyone, the dwarves apparently would be given extra rations so the guards didn't have to tend to them until later in the day.

Bilbo would, of course, be responsible for every part of the operation. Naya would have liked to help, but there was little she could do. She wasn't invisible and she couldn't go under the palace. Bilbo would have to get the key, free the company, get them in barrels and make sure they went into the river. However, Naya had her own plan. She was determined to retrieve Orcrist for Thorin. Her dream had made her believe that Orcrist was a critical factor in Thorin's survival . Bilbo had enough to do. This was her contribution.

As the day drew near, they became more and more nervous. Timing was everything. Even with the elves preoccupied, they had to act as quickly as possible. Bilbo hoped to have the dwarves free by midnight. After the elves started passing out, Naya intended to sneak down to the barrel room to help get them in the barrels. All they could do in the meantime was sit and wait.


	19. Chapter 19

Finally, the big night arrived. Naya was in the dining hall to watch the events begin. Thranduil made a grand speech about the finest wine in the land, blah blah blah. After he droned on, the elves started their annual carousal. It seemed to her that most everyone had to be there. The room was as crowded as she had ever seen it. And all the stories of the wine's potency appeared to be true. After just a few glasses, there was a noticeable gaiety among the normally staid elves.

Bilbo whispered in her ear, "I'm going down to the guard room to monitor the one with the key. Earlier, I heard them talking about enjoying their own 'private' party. They will probably wait a bit longer than up here, but if I am any judge, they will catch up soon enough. Once I have the keys, I'll start freeing everyone. I have only told them to be ready. No other details. They can be such babies," he chuckled. "I hate to think of the whining when I tell them they have to get in barrels, _and _get wet!" She didn't say it, but Naya agreed. Thorin was _not_ going to be happy. Hopefully, he would not prove too stubborn. Good thing she would be appearing in the barrel room.

Naya waited until after midnight to make her way to the barrel room. She was afraid if she left too early, the elves might be aware enough to stop her. Wandering back to the dining hall, she realized she needn't have worried. Everyone there was toast. If they were at all conscious, it was only to lift a goblet and consume more of the wine. Picking up a goblet for herself, she poured a small portion. Sniffing, she jerked her head back. Whew! It most certainly was powerful. She took the tiniest of sips. It coursed through her blood and straight to her head. If she had taken any more, she probably would have been drunk immediately. Even so, she felt a bit light headed. Using her healer skills, she cleared as much as she could from her blood but still felt the effects.

Walking a bit unsteadily, she went to the throne room. It was too soon to take the sword, but she needed to be sure it was still behind the throne. The room was empty, so she crossed the floor quickly and opened the cupboard. It was still there! She had been afraid she might have to look elsewhere in the palace, even though she knew that would probably have been hopeless. Her path was now clear. She wouldn't be going with the others. Closing the door, she quickly moved to the door and slipped back out.

A few minutes later, she stood at the top of a staircase. Bilbo had told her where to go, and now she had to break the restriction put on her by Thranduil. She certainly didn't mind rule breaking, but she knew if she was caught, the rest of her plan could not be completed, and she would be a prisoner. Clutching a bottle with a little of the wine, she slowly descended. Absolutely no one was about. The place was a silent as a tomb. Really, it seemed a bit irresponsible for everyone to be off duty. What was she thinking? This was the only way they could get out. Thank goodness for drunken elves…

On and on the tunnel went. Finally, she thought she heard the murmur of quiet voices, and one not so quiet. Thorin, of course. "You want us to do what! In the river, in a barrel? I am _not_ going to do that. There has got to be a better way!" he shouted.

"No there is not, and you will get in that barrel right now! And keep your voice down!" Naya told him as she came through the door." Bilbo has worked very hard on this plan. If you want to be at the mountain on Durin's Day, you must leave _now_. Please, Thorin, I can't bear to think of you in this place another day. You must go." She went from ordering him to pleading. Hearing her voice, Thorin turned. She raced over to him and ran into his arms. "I have missed you so much," she whispered. "Please tell me that you are alright and then get in a barrel." Thorin crushed her to his chest and said, "I'm fine. And although I really don't wish to be sealed in a barrel, I will do it for you." That argument over, they got to work getting each dwarf in a barrel, putting the lid on, and closing each one.

Bombur proved to be the biggest challenge, but eventually, they were able to stuff him into the largest barrel they could find. Bilbo had serious doubts about whether he could survive the journey. Most of the others fit fairly well, if not comfortably. Thorin stayed out until the end. "Where is your barrel, Naya?" he asked.

The moment of truth: "I'm staying. There is something I must do after you are gone. It is of utmost importance," she said.

"NO, I will not leave you here with these elves! What if you are unable to get away? Naya, please!" Thorin pleaded.

Bilbo stared at her. He had no idea what she was talking about. As far as he knew, she was going with them. What was she thinking? "Naya, what do you mean? You never said…." He couldn't finish, he was so upset. "How will you get away?"

Naya turned to them both. "I didn't say anything because I knew you would fight me. This must be done. Thorin, you know I have dreams. It is quite clear what my task is. I _must_ do this," she repeated. "As to how I will get away, I will follow you down the river when I have finished. It may take me a few extra days, but I _will_ follow." She kissed him with all the long suppressed passion of the last few weeks. "Don't think you can get away from me this easily. I love you, Thorin Oakenshield, and I will find you where ever you are!" There, she had said it. She had debated with herself for days as to whether she should say it out loud, and now she had. If she never saw him again, at least he knew how she felt.

All Thorin's fine intentions of leaving Naya, of giving her up, of abandoning her in Lake Town, flew out of his head as soon as he heard her voice. It was as though lightning struck his heart. When she announced that she was staying behind, Thorin was stunned. She wasn't coming. He had barely registered her impassioned words. He didn't know how to respond so he said nothing. His mind reeled with unfamiliar emotions. Fear, longing, and love, yes love, for this creature who meant so much to him. It was too much for him to process right now. If only they could get away and be alone together. "Bilbo, could you give us a minute alone," he asked. Bilbo nodded and moved over to where the barrels were lined up. "What is so important that you won't leave? You must tell me!"

"I can't. Something tells me I must do this, but I know you will try to talk me out of it. Your future, _our_ future seems to depend on it. You forget that I am a skin changer. I intend to get out of the palace after the ruckus your escape causes dies down, get into the river and swim to Lake Town. I make a pretty great otter if you ask me." She tried to sound certain and lighthearted, but given that she would be hauling a giant sword along gave her pause. "You, on the other hand, will have no other chance. Thranduil will keep you here forever if he feels like it, and you have a deadline," she reminded him, yet again. "Nothing can keep me from rejoining you, nothing. When you get to Lake Town, you must get ready to get to Erebor. I promise, I will come." Repeating it almost made her feel confident in her success.

Thorin hugged her to his chest again. "Very well. If I had more time, I wouldn't let you do this, but I also know that you are not one to act rashly. Just promise me that you will give up this quest if it will prevent you from rejoining us. I don't have a big enough army to free you!" He, too, tried to sound lighthearted but he was dying inside. Bilbo called, "Thorin, Naya, we have to get moving!"

Naya kissed Thorin again, clinging tightly. "I promise. Just remember that I love you, and I will always find you. And….when you get to Lake Town, I want you to find the biggest, softest, most comfortable bed available and keep it warm for me. When I do arrive, we will be together at last." With those bold words, she slipped out of his arms, crossed over to Bilbo, hugged him and ran from the room without looking back. Thorin just stared after her, finally really registering what she had said.

Naya managed to reach the tunnel before she broke down in tears. Picking up the wine bottle, she swiftly made her way back upstairs. Time was short and there was still Orcrist to rescue. Opening the throne room doors, she entered quietly. In just a few moments, she had the sword out and was heading for the door when she heard a slurred voice ask, "What have we here? The ugly little bear in search of a weapon? What would such a creature need with a sword it can hardly carry?" She whirled around. How careless! Because no one had been here before, she had gotten over confident and not double checked! Looking around the edge of the throne, she saw the tall blonde elf she had talked to occasionally, lounging rather disrespectfully in the seat. She decided to go on the offensive. "I don't think the king would be too happy to see you sprawled on his throne like that! It must merit a pretty good punishment, would be my guess."

He laughed. Still slurring slightly, "Ah, I'm sure there is, but since this just about the only time I will ever sit here, I do it every year. My father, you see, will never step down and it is unlikely anyone will kill him anytime soon. Although, if that dwarf were not a prisoner, there might be some hope there!"

"Your father? Thranduil is your father? I didn't even know he had a son. My sympathies."

"Yes, ol' Thran is my dad. Not really the fatherly type, so I would not expect you to have noticed. But enough about me, why do you want that sword…." He picked up a goblet of the wine and drank deeply. Before Naya could think of anything to say, his head fell back against the throne, and his eyes closed. Swiftly, she ran over, put her hands to his temples, muttered 'Sleep and Forget', and stepped back. She was not sure it would work since he had not given her permission, but she had to try. His eyes remained closed and he began to snore softly. Picking up the heavy sword, she raced back to her room as quickly as she could.

Stealing was much too stressful, she decided as she turned the key in the lock. Fortunately, there had been no one to see her since she wouldn't have been able to hide with Orcrist in tow. Once inside, she ran to the window, opened it and climbed out onto the tree branch. The sword fit nicely into a crack in the trunk that she had discovered the other day. It faced away from the window, and if it was visible from the ground, well, that was the chance she had to take.

Now to improve her alibi. She had managed to carry the wine bottle along with the sword. She put some in her mouth, swirled it around and spit it out the window. Even doing that made her slightly giddy. How did elves drink so much of this vile stuff? The remainder she lightly sprinkled over her tunic. Then she unlocked the door and went to bed. Either because of the wine, the stress of the night or both, she fell asleep immediately.


End file.
